BOLTON Green Party welcomes the decision of the Labour Council decision to oppose fracking in Bolton, but also is concerned that it may cave in if the Tory Government applies pressure, or even offers a financial bribe.

We call on the council to stick to its guns. We also note the recent conversion of some Labour, and Liberal local politicians to the anti- fracking cause, and remind residents of Bolton of the Lib-Dems action when in Government, when they were party to issuing licences to fracking companies to do exploratory drilling, in Balcombe in the south and Barton moss here in the north, and other areas.

Labour on the other hand would as their current policy says, allow fracking under stricter regulation, in fact both the Lib-Dems, and Labour share the same view.

The process of extracting shale gas by fracking is unsafe, as has been shown by examples in America. The fact remains that no amount of regulation, and who would do the regulating remains to be seen, the industry itself surely not, these people are only out for short term profit, at the expense of long term damage to our environment, with the potential for earthquakes, poisoning of our water supply, contamination of our soil.

We owe it to our children, and grandchildren, and future generations, to stop fracking in Bolton, and anywhere it rears it ugly head.

Only the Green Party has been consistent in its total opposition whatever regulation is in place, and in Bolton will work alongside anyone who shares this belief, that fracking should be stopped at all cost.

Alan Johnson,

Bolton Green Party