A PUBLIC meeting on fracking is due to be held tomorrow in Skipton Town Hall.

Organised by Friends of the Earth, the meeting will be a chance for people to find out more about fracking – the process of drilling into the earth and releasing gas – and current proposals for North Yorkshire.

Speakers will be Simon Bowens, Friends of the Earth campaigner, and GP, Dr Tim Thornton.

Mr Bowens said in August the government had licensed large parts of the county for possible fracking.

"This comes as North Yorkshire councillors are due to decide on whether to give the green light to Barclay’s-owned Third Energy to frack in the small village of Kirby Misperton, which lies between the North York Moors National Park and the Howardian Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty," he said.

"Due to the high risks, fracking has been halted in Wales and Scotland, and planning applications have been turned down in Sussex and Lancashire.

"This meeting is an opportunity to find out more about what it would mean if North Yorkshire was used as a test-case for this risky and unnecessary technology.”

The meeting will start at 7pm and is expected to run until 9pm. Admission is free.