IN PICTURES: Frack Free Misson is celebrating a victory after a decade long David and Goliath battle

“It’s a combination of joy and relief after all this time,” said a spokesperson for Frack Free Misson. “We welcome the news that the Springs Road shale gas site has finally been abandoned and restored to its former condition by would-be developers Star Energy (formerly IGas).”

Residents were joined by Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust’s Head of Nature Recovery, Janice Bradley MBE who led technical objections.

According to Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust, previous construction and drilling operations at the site resulted in the disturbance of protected birds nesting in the adjacent nature reserve.

Misson Carr SSSI is one of few sites nationally where all 5 species of native British owls have been noted. The drilling rig was only 125m from the previously successful nesting site of the red-listed Long Eared Owls.

The Misson community has had the threat of fracking hanging over it for more than a decade.

A spokesperson for Frack Free Misson stated: “It is no small relief that this huge battle is finally over. Our story shows what determined and committed campaigners can achieve at a local level, even when fighting issues of a national scale.”