Total, the first major oil company to join the race to find shale gas in Britain, has promised to bring high safety standards to the controversial industry and shrugs off any fears of damage to its reputation.

But environmental campaigners say the French group should not be allowed to "frack" for shale until the result is known of an investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) into a gas blowout in the North Sea.

The Paris-based group said it had carefully investigated the environmental evidence of the impact of shale exploration before taking its decision to buy into a license in the East Midlands where it hopes to become an operator.