Defiant villagers are vowing to fight RJB plans to mine coal beneath Naburn - because they fear the project could sink their homes.

But union leaders at Stillingfleet Mine today urged caution on both sides, claiming that if the development did not go ahead, it could put some of the pit's 600 miners out of work.

Steve Kemp, National Union of Mineworkers' secretary at Stillingfleet, said: "We hear the concerns of residents, and we hope RJB will allay their fears.

"But if we don't mine this coal, it could put production at risk and in turn affect the future of the colliery."

More than 100 people made their views clear during a heated public meeting organised by the parish council in Naburn's village hall.

The aim of the meeting was to debate last month's floods, and ways in which the traumas experienced by the people of Naburn could be avoided in future.

A panel of guests, including Environment Agency representatives and City of York Council officers, answered questions, as well as Selby MP John Grogan.

Notable for their absence were representatives from RJB, the mining company intending to extend Stillingfleet Mine under Naburn.

RJB has permission to mine the coal, subject to providing flood defences equivalent to those in place now, but has not yet revealed when it will start or how much it will mine.

There was agreement from across the hall that mining was not wanted in the village, which was already vulnerable to flooding, and could see subsidence of between one foot and one metre.

Villager Will Stanton said: "We've got to fight - it's no good being complacent."

He challenged Mr Grogan to oppose mining at Naburn.

Mr Grogan said there was nothing he, or even Secretary of State John Prescott, could do under the terms of the permission to mine, originally granted to British Coal in 1976.

"But they do have very, very strong responsibilities in terms of flood defence work and they have very strong moral responsibilities towards this village as well."

He said he had asked for an assurance from RJB that they would come to villagers by the end of January with a definite decision as to what they were going to do to put an end to years of uncertainty for villagers.

He also said he would urge them to come to a public meeting, rather than just meeting villagers one-to-one.

And he said they had an obligation to start work on flood banks along the road to Stillingfleet in February regardless of whether they mined at Naburn.

Independent mining consultant Tony Ransome said RJB argued that under the terms of the Act relating to potential damage caused by subsidence, "damage" did not include flood damage.

He said it needed to be clarified whether RJB's definition was correct. Mr Grogan said he would meet with Mr Ransome and that he had applied for an adjournment debate in Parliament about subsidence.

A spokesman for RJB said today: "We will endeavour to keep Mr Grogan advised of developments in terms of Naburn.

"We will respond in a positive way to any constructive suggestions he has."