THE Government should consider a total ban on drilling for oil near the Dorset coast, an MP says.

Bournemouth West MP Conor Burns has added his voice to those opposing plans by Corallian Energy to drill an appraisal well in Poole Bay in the ‘Colter Prospect’.

Mr Burns said he had made an objection to Energy Minister Claire Perry at the start of the year.

“The proposed exploration rig, whilst a temporary structure, has the capacity to inflict terrible damage on our coastline if there were an oil leak,” he said.

“I have called on the Government to look very carefully at this aspect of the application – the potential for environmental disaster is massive.

“If however the Government is minded to grant a licence, then I have suggested they need to be certain that the applicant has the financial resilience to pay to clean up the area.

“I have also suggested that the Government should consider a strategy adopted in other parts of the world where all drilling immediately offshore is prohibited in order to protect exceptional areas of coastline.”

Mr Burns said the Jurassic Coast “deserves a unique level of protection”.

Earlier this month Bournemouth council leader Councillor John Beesley called for MPs to "present a united front" against the plan.

Meanwhile Dorset environmental campaigner Stuart Lane, who recently exposed the legal release of thousands of tonnes of methane from a Purbeck oil well, has invited the council to join with the efforts of local campaigners.

"I am pleased to finally see some comment by the Council on the issue in public," he said.

"Corallian's plans can only become a commercial reality if Perenco agrees to follow up with onshore to offshore long reach drilling.

"Perenco has it in their gift to remove this threat now by stating that they will not get involved with the Colter oil field. That will be game over for Corallian."

He added: "I hope Cllr Beesley is serious about a team effort to stop the off-shore rig and that he will get in touch very soon."