EXTINCTION REBELLION’S pink protest boat “sailed” back out to Wales today to blockade access roads between the Ffos-y-Fran open-cast mine near Merthyr Tydfil and its depot.

Protesters locked themselves to the boat, bringing the company’s lorry traffic to a halt.

In April 2022, Merthyr Tydfil council rejected an application by the company to extend the mine’s licence, but Merthyr (South Wales) Ltd have continued to operate.

An enforcement notice giving the owners of the site 28 days to stop extracting coal came into effect on June 27.

But campaigners say that if the company appeals the decision, enforcement could be delayed by up to 12 months while the company continues its unlicensed operations.

XR activist Marcus Bailie, 68, of Caerphilly, who was locked on to the boat, said: “We have today done what the Welsh government, the UK government and the local council have failed to do – shut down the operations of the UK’s largest coal mine which has been operating without a licence since September last year.

“We aim to stop operations until at least the weekend and we are calling for as many people as possible to come down to support us and make this happen.

“It would be crazy if the mine owner or the government instructed the police to move against us just so the mine owners can continue what is an illegal operation.”

XR Cymru/Wales have said they will maintain their blockade “night and day” for at least a week, and activists have promised to escalate action on the weekend.

A group calling itself No More Coal are organising a peaceful mass march to the mine at 10.30am on Saturday.