Balcombe fracking ruled out as Cuadrilla plans further tests

Energy firm Cuadrilla has said it will not carry out fracking in the West Sussex village of Balcombe, but still wants to carry out tests at its exploration well to find out how quickly oil will flow to the surface.

Alison Stevenson, chairman of Balcombe Parish Council, said everyone would be given a say on Cuadrilla's latest plans for the well.

Hundreds of anti-fracking protesters camped there last summer when the company carried out test drilling for oil, leading to a policing bill of almost £4m.

Professor David Elmes, from the University of Warwick, told BBC correspondent Yvette Austin that Cuadrilla had found the rock was already naturally fractured, which meant it was not appropriate to carry out fracking at the site.