Campaigners yesterday vowed to continue their fight against proposals for a massive opencast coal site after a council delayed its final decision.

Over 60 protesters lobbied a meeting of North Lanarkshire Council objecting to a scheme to create a 65-hectare coal site near Harthill, Lanarkshire.

They say that if the plans go ahead, it will mean more than 100 lorries a day trundling through their village - raising safety fears for young children.

They believe that the proposals will also bring noise and dust pollution to the area.

Since the proposals were first submitted last year, more than 2000 letters of objection have been received by the council.

Applicants J Fenton & Sons say that if they get approval for the site, it would operate for five years and would yield up to 550,000 tonnes of coal.

They say it would provide employment for up to 20 people, and claim that when mining was finished, the site could revert to farmland.

Company spokesman Martin Sales said: ''The proposal is a temporary use of the land. The applicant has satisfied all the statutory consultees, and the application complies with the most recent development policies.''

But a final decision on the scheme was delayed by the council yesterday when they received two further objections from the Scottish Wildlife Trust and the Association for Protection of Rural Scotland.

Chairman of the planning committee, Councillor James Coyle told the meeting: ''I recommend that a decision on this application be deferred until our officers have had time to consider these two objections.

''I will not see objections 'thrown out' because everyone should have their say.''

Ms Mary Allison, spokesman for Harthill, Blackridge and Armadale Community Councils, said she was disappointed that no final decision had been made.

She said: ''I think it is fair that the council should look at these fresh objections, but I am disappointed that we will still have to wait for a final outcome.''

Local woman Muriel King, 56, who was among the protesters, said: ''We feel that Harthill is becoming a dumping ground, and we cannot afford to give up fighting against this plan.

''We have got a lot of bad developments near us already and we just don't want

any more.''

Pensioner Mary Dundas, 76, added: ''We'll keep fighting on. I think that by talking it through with people, the council will realise the strength of local feeling against the scheme.''

No-one from J.Fenton & Sons was available for comment yesterday.