The fracking industry was warned today (September 19 2013) it could not afford a rogue operator or a single accident.

The pro-fracking MP, Dan Byles, told the European Shale Gas and Oil Summit in London: “This is still a sensitive enough industry that an accident could shut everyone down.”

Mr Byles, who chairs the All Party Parliamentary Group on Unconventional Oil and Gas, said there was a broad party political consensus in support of shale oil and gas exploitation. But he warned: “Political support is not necessarily deep. One rogue operator will easily erode that support”.

Mr Byles told the conference the opponents of shale gas had very expensive lawyers who were looking to challenge the government on fracking in the courts.

“Politicians are not brave,” he said. “They are not always well-informed. Policy decision-making is rarely evidence-based.”