They took on a mobile phone company to protect their village and now a group of children are fighting Oxfordshire’s planned incinerator.

Twenty-five children, aged five to 13, have resurrected the Ardley with Fewcott Kids Action Group (Afkag) to add their voice to other campaigners against putting an incinerator – which would burn 300,000 tonnes of waste a year – at Ardley Fields farm.

In 2005, nine children formed the group to protest against a 20-metre-high mast being built in the heart of the village.

They claimed victory when mobile phone giant O2 withdrew its planning application.

Oxfordshire County Council named Ardley or Sutton Courtenay as the likely location for the new incinerator.

Jacob Cherrington, 11, whose idea it was to reform the group, said: “I think the incinerator is a bad thing because it will pollute all our roads and make more traffic in the area.

“We’re always being taught at school to be eco-friendly and this thing doesn’t seem to be eco-friendly, it will just pollute the air.

“All the children are really against it and want this to stop.

“It’s us that are going to have to grow up next to it.

“We could end up coughing away or having to move out to get away from it.”

The council is under pressure to find alternatives to tipping waste into landfill sites to avoid multi-million-pound Government fines.

Jacob, in Year 6 at Fritwell Primary School, relaunched the group after creating an anti-incinerator poster and knocking on doors around the village to see if other children would get involved.

The group is now planning to write to the Health Protection Agency, the county council and Banbury MP Tony Baldry to let them know why they are opposed to the scheme.

Mum Stella Cherrington, 37, of Water Lane, said: “I’m really proud of Jacob, he’s taken it on his shoulders to do this and he’s worked really hard.

“It was all his own idea and I think he was inspired by the fact the mast didn’t happen.”

Campaign member Rosie Potter, 13, of Ploughley Close, said: “We really don’t want this incinerator.

“It’s going to be ugly and unhealthy.”

Councillor Roger Belson, cabinet member for sustainable development, said: “We welcome the views of this group.

“In principal, incinerators are proven to be safe.

“There are 20 operating in this country and hundreds operating across Europe.

“The licence to operate the incinerator will be granted by the Health Protection Agency and it will only be granted if they believe it to be safe.”

cwalker@oxfordmail.co.uk