Rowland Wright, external affairs director at leading onshore shale gas operator Cuadrilla, said: “It is disappointing to see the latest data. We’re based in Lancashire and lots of our staff live nearby so, for us, it just doesn’t reflect the continued and strengthening support that we see every day from local people.

“There is clear support for our operations and for all the benefits that shale gas exploration can bring to the county and the UK as a whole if a new industry is established. There is an estimated 1,300 trillion cubic feet of natural gas beneath our feet and people do recognise that it can help tackle emissions by reducing imports shipped in from around the world, as well as creating jobs and revenue. More to the point, most people are hooked up to gas and will continue to need and use it to heat their homes and food. Getting it from a local source makes sense for them too.

“There is no doubt that huge amounts of highly emotional misinformation and purposefully misleading facts are shared about what we are doing and how the extraction process works. We would encourage people to look at the facts to see that the scare mongering and horror stories are in direct contrast to the safe and responsible systems in place at Preston New Road.”