Sir David Attenborough has criticised plans to open a coal mine at a Northumberland beauty spot as ‘shameful’ as he joined environmental scientists calling for the project to be blocked by the government.

Proposals for the open cast mine in Druridge Bay were originally rejected by Sajid Javid when he was Communities Secretary, but last year the High Court ruled that decision was flawed and asked for a rethink.

New Communities Secretary James Brokenshire is due to rule on plans before the summer, but now experts have written to the minister urging him to throw out the scheme, claiming it will exacerbate global warming.

Sir David Attenborough, said: “It would be shameful were the UK to open this new coal mine at precisely the moment the world at large is recognising the dreadful effect of burning coal on our planet’s climate”.

Banks wants to extract three million tonnes of coal, sandstone and fireclay at the Highthorn site, which lies directly behind the sand dunes at Druridge Bay.