A WIND farm developer has stopped Northumberland campaigners fighting its turbine plans from flying a blimp in protest.

Energiekontor UK Ltd has rejected the request from residents at Belford, who wanted to illustrate the 100m height of its nine proposed engines.

After the refusal, villagers roped in their MP Sir Alan Beith, who has written to the company asking it to allow a blimp to be flown.

The campaigners – The Middleton Burn Action Group – are waiting to find out whether they will be given permission to fly another at the site of a further 16 125m turbines close to the village.

The action group was originally set up to oppose plans from Air Farmers Ltd, now Middleton Burn Ltd, for those 16 turbines, but it broadened its remit when the Energiekontor scheme for a wind farms at Belford Burn emerged.

Neither company has submitted a planning application to date.

The group wrote to landowners involved in both projects and asked their permission to be allowed to fly blimps at the sites.

It is keen to employ such a tactic both now, and ahead of the planning applications being lodged, and in future should councillors hold site visits.

In the case of the Energiekontor scheme, the landowner said it would be a decision for the company, and when the group asked the developer it was told permission would not be given.