Local anti-fracking campaigners will hold a demonstration on Saturday, August 20th, at Symonds Yat rock, protesting against Government Licences, which have been formally issued to South Western Energy, granting permission for them to explore for gas and oil in the Wye Valley and the Forest of Dean.

Rick Guest will be amongst the campaigners from Herefordshire. He will be dressed as Gandalf, and he plans to take his “Don’t Frack the Shires” message to Government.

On Wednesday, August 17th, Rick and many other local people from around Herefordshire held a protest in Hereford, outside of Barclay’s Bank. Rick and his team then walked to Hoarwithy, and from there, they canoed down the River Wye. The group arrived in Ross-on-Wye yesterday (Thursday), and Rick will arrive in Symonds Yat later today (Friday).

From there, Rick and the Herefordshire campaigners will join forces with Gloucestershire's Frack Off Our Forest group (FOOF) on Saturday, August 20th.

The event will mark FOOF’s first demonstration since the group discovered that the licences had been formally issued to South Western Energy.

One of these licences covers the area of Symonds Yat, Whitchurch, Marstow, Goodrich, Llangrove and Welsh Newton. Larger towns such as Ross-on-Wye and Monmouth would fall within a 10 kilometre potential zone of impact, so it is anticipated that the event will attract hundreds of people from Herefordshire, Monmouthshire and Gloucestershire, who are opposed to fracking in the local area.

The group plans to gather at Symonds Yat Rock from 12pm until 1pm, and they will then take part in a walk, where they will raise awareness of the potential fracking.