Campaigners launched an appeal at the weekend to raise funds to support further legal action to protect Radley Lakes from being turned into an ash dump.

More than £4,000 was raised at the event at the Guildhall, in Abbey Close, Abingdon, to help fund and support a judicial review of Oxfordshire County Council's recent decision not to register land around Thrupp and Bullfield Lakes at Radley as a town or village green.

About 200 people including MP Evan Harris and representatives from the Conservatives, the Labour party and the Green party, showed their support on Saturdayfeb 9.

The group hopes to stop Didcot Power Station from going ahead with its plans to dump ash in the lakes.

Lynda Pasquire, of Save Radley Lakes, said: "From what has been said today, the general view of the public is that npower were completely mad to consider doing this and there ought to be ways of stopping them."

Save Radley Lakes has vowed to carry on its battle and hopes a motion due to go before Oxford City Council on February 18, will gain support for the campaign.

Labour parliamentary candidate for Oxford West and Abingdon Richard Stevens said: "It's not too late to change direction, and we as a community must urge the county council and RWE npower to think again."