A public inquiry protesters hope will thwart plans to use Radley Lakes as a power station fuel ash dump starts on Monday.

Campaigners are hoping to get the lakes registered as a village green to prevent Didcot Power Station owner RWE nPower's proposals.

The inquiry, at Radley College, is set to last four days, starting at 11am on Monday.

A session has also been arranged from 6-8pm on Monday to hear submissions from people who cannot attend during the day.

Presiding inspector, Vivian Chapman, a senior barrister and an expert in town and village green law, will decide if the lakes should be registered under the Commons Registration Act.

Mr Chapman will submit a report and recommendation to Oxfordshire County Council for it's planning and regulation committee to make a decision.

Last July, the committee granted RWE npower permission to use the lake to dump spent fuel ash from Didcot power station. Village green status would protect the area from any form of development.

Company spokesman Kelly Brown said: "If the application is successful then we will have to look very seriously at the impact it would have on the power station's ability to generate electricity 24 hours a day, seven days a week."

Npower will produce evidence from former and current landowners to try to show that the lakes, former gravel pits, have not been used for recreation for at least 20 years.

Simon Wells, who will represent the company, said: "We can demonstrate that this area, which is largely water, has not been used over the last 20 years for activities that would enable it to be registered as a town or village green."

The application to protect the area was lodged by Jo Cartmell, from Abingdon, a member of the Save Radley Lakes group which has fought to prevent npower from using the lake.

The move follows a successful campaign in Oxford to register the Trap Grounds as a town green - thwarting plans to build houses on the land.

Twenty witnesses will be called to give evidence. Mrs Cartmell and Save Radley Lakes will be represented by barrister Philip Petchey QC.

Mrs Cartmell said: "Our case is that as of right the lake has been used as an area of recreation for at least 20 years and should be retained.

"It has been used by anglers, bird watchers, walkers and people have swam in the lake. I live not far away and took my children there for years. It's a precious treasurer for wildlife and recreation and should be preserved."