Cottam power station, commissioned in 1968, was capable of generating enough electricity for 3.7m homes.

The Nottinghamshire plant was originally only designed to be operational for 30 years but its life was extended until 30 September 2019.

Work to decommission the power station has now begun and is expected to take six to 12 months. It's thought the buildings will be levelled.

A Greenpeace spokesperson said: "The dwindling days of coal is good news for the planet. This dirty fuel is one of the key drivers of the climate emergency and switching to clean renewable energy is key to tackling it."

The government plans to phase out the UK's last coal-fired plants by 2025 to reduce carbon emissions.

Video journalist: Chris Waring