FARMERS fighting against a pylon line being built across their land won a small victory yesterday.

National Grid Company (NGC) workers were scheduled to carry out a survey at Station Farm, Alne, near Easingwold, North Yorkshire, as part of the controversial Lackenby to Shipton overhead power line.

The surveyors were met by strong vocal opposition from a party of protestors, including landowners John and Richard Gill, neighbours and members of the anti-pylon group, Revolt.

The NGC staff, accompanied by two North Yorkshire Police officers, crossed a locked gate to access the field, despite being refused entry by the Gill brothers.

They were pursued by the protestors and National Grid manager Guy Bradbury was heckled by the small crowd.

Mr Bradbury ordered his team to abandon the work and accused the protestors of obstructing his legal right to carry out the survey.

Farmer John Gill, 47, said he was pleased to have seen off the NGC team. "It is what we wanted," he said. "I didn't think they would even come over the gate."

Mr Gill said he had feared he would be arrested but said he had the right to refuse entry.

The deadlock results from a technicality in the ruling that allows NGC to access farmland in order to build and maintain the pylons, called a necessary wayleave.

But the wayleave agreement is unclear as to whether NGC workers can also carry out surveys on farmland without the owner's permission.

A spokesman for National Grid said: "In the vast majority of cases we manage to reach an agreement on access with landowners. We will try to negotiate with the landowner. If this fails, regretfully, we may have to apply for a court injunction."