Angry villagers fear that plans to start mining under Naburn next year will leave their homes even more vulnerable to flooding.

Naburn, near York, was cut off for ten days during the recent flooding and a public meeting is being held tomorrow evening to give residents the chance to ask questions about how any future floods would be dealt with.

But their main concern is about RJB's plans to extend the Selby Coalfield under the village.

RJB inherited permission to mine in Naburn from British Coal, who won the permission in 1976.

The company has now reinstated plans to go ahead with an extension after dropping them more than a year ago. Before starting it will have to build flood defences to combat subsidence caused by mining - villagers have been told there could be subsidence of up to one foot.

Jenny Balding, clerk to Naburn Parish Council, said villagers were worried that these defences would not be enough.

"Had they already built these defences, they still would have been breached in the latest floods," she said.

"All the residents are really angry about this. They cannot believe they can go ahead and do this.

"We want them to come to the meeting and face the music. If they're doing everything they said they were going to do then they've nothing to fear."

RJB spokesman Stuart Oliver said the rise in the world coal price meant that mining in Naburn was now possible and he expected mining to begin next year.

"Before mining we will agree with the Environment Agency measures that will protect residents to at least the same degree as the protection they enjoy now.

"The flood defence measures will take full account of whatever subsidence is caused as a result of mining."

He said the seam below Naburn was nearly 1,000 yards below ground and it would be "some years" before the effects of the mining were felt.

He said RJB had declined to attend the meeting, and instead had offered to spend two days in Naburn to talk to residents.

A spokesman for the Environment Agency confirmed they were in consultation with RJB, but said they were waiting for firm proposals from RJB before they drew up their requirements for flood protection measures.

He said data from last month's floods would be taken into account.

"Now we know a flood of this magnitude is possible we are building our flood defences to protect against a similar flood in the region."

* Tomorrow's meeting starts at 7.30pm and takes place in Naburn Village Hall.