The British oil industry has threatened to take legal action to defend its interests in the North Sea against offshore wind farm developers.

A report in the Observer on Sunday reveals that a conflict is building between Oil and Gas interests and those of wind farm developers; the oil industry believes that offshore wind farms could impede their operations in areas they hold existing petroleum licences for.

Jim Footner of Greenpeace is quoted as saying that the government should be backing wind power: "The oil lobby is threatening to scupper the UK's chances of developing a cutting-edge offshore wind industry. There is a definite conflict between oil interests, who are going to ever greater extremes to extract their product, and offshore wind. Is the government going to kowtow to a highly polluting industry which relies on something that is running out, or will they back offshore wind, which will provide tens of thousands of jobs, cut emissions and secure our energy future?"