A new MP is backing residents campaigning to stop open cast coal mining from going ahead on the outskirts of their village.

Andrew Bridgen, newly-elected MP for North West Leicestershire, said he would fight plans by UK Coal to mine 1.5m tonnes of coal and fireclay at its former Minorca colliery site, near Measham.

Declaring his support for the Minorca Open Cast Protest Group (MOPG) he said: "I think open-casting will cause a huge amount of damage for a relatively small amount of coal.

"The minimal, short term economic benefits of open casting, locally and nationally, do not justify the harm it causes in disrupting people's lives and the environment.

"A new open cast coal mine in north west Leicestershire will drag the district back decades just as it's trying to move on from it mining past.

"It would also be a big setback for regeneration. We are supposed to be at the centre of the National Forest and should be looking forward not backwards." Mr Bridgen is supporting calls for new planning guidance in England to introduce a 500-metre buffer zone around opencast mine sites, as already exists in Scotland and Wales.

One of Mr Bridgen's first engagements as MP was to meet with the MOPG protesters to launch a petition demanding a vote be taken on UK Coal's planning application, which was originally submitted last summer.

Mr Bridgen, who replaced the late David Taylor, who died from a heart attack in December, as MP, said: "Villagers are living in limbo with this scheme hanging over them."

Campaigners claim they have waited long enough to find out whether the plan will go ahead and want Leicestershire County Council to vote on the scheme at its development control board meeting on July 15.

Steve Leary, spokesman for the residents protest group, welcomed the MP's support.

He said: "We have greatly missed having access to ministers since David Taylor's unfortunate death and are very grateful to Mr Bridgen, as our new MP, that he found the time to meet our representatives so soon after the election."

The county council said a decision could be made at the July 15 planning meeting but only if it has all the information it needs for councillors to make a decision.

Stuart Oliver, of UK Coal, said: "We continue to have a constructive dialogue with Leicestershire County Council planners and hope to have all the additional environmental information that they are asking for in time for the council to rule on the application in July."