Fracking firm boss: 'We don't want anyone to get hurt'

Energy firm Cuadrilla has said it is scaling back work at an exploration site in West Sussex on police advice.

The company has been drilling for oil near the village of Balcombe but has not ruled out using the controversial technique of fracking to release gas.

Police believe environmental activists at the site are about to begin a campaign of civil disobedience.

Cuadrilla's chief executive Francis Egan explained the nature of the threat presented by the protesters saying, "We don't want anyone to get hurt".

BBC industry correspondent John Moylan asked if he was setting a bad precedent by "shutting up shop", Mr Egan said: "Anyone who knows the oil and gas industry knows that safety is always the first priority... We would prefer to err on the side of caution."