Selar Nature Reserve

On Monday 10 July, after 7 peaceful weeks at Selar Farm Nature Reserve - proposed opencast site near Neath, South Wales - Celtic Energy moved in to “translocate” the last of the protected watermeadows. It had been costing them £400 an hour to keep the contractors (Alaska Environmental Services) on site doing nothing. So, they decided to finish the job in one fell swoop with the help of their own private security firm - the South Wales Constabulary.

Celtic and Alaska in their “high regard for the environment” bulldozed their way through hedges and lopped huge branches off oaks in order to get into the watermeadows. The police were in total collusion and behaved like moronic thugs. Benders were pulled down and their occupants bundled into police vans, walkways were cut with people on them and arrests were made for, amongst other things, swearing at a lorry and rolling a fag. One road access bridge was pickaxed and a Group Four car was trashed, oh dear!!

Things are quieter at Selar now. A permaculture garden and compost loos are being constructed. There is no news as to when Celtic will try and evict people from the woodland.

Some of those bailed off site have moved to another proposed opencast, nine miles from Selar where work is due to start next month. Beautiful old barn, farmhouses and huge trees. People needed urgently! Contact 01222 383363 or 01685 873993 350 locals staged a march against the proposed mine on Thursday 20th July.