Villagers hope to set up a group to fight an energy giant which plans to put up 90 pylons across East Anglia.

With the existing high-voltage network in East Anglia now running at full capacity, National Grid wants to build a new 400,000 volt overhead transmission line between Bramford electricity substation, north west of Ipswich, to Twinstead, near Halstead.

But Twinstead villagers say this line should run underground, rather than “decimating” the countryside.

Twinstead parish councillor David Holland said villagers hoped to form a group, which may by called Twinstead Underground, to campaign for all the power lines to follow the existing route and for the whole lot to be put underground.

Mr Holland of Church Road said: “It’s ridiculous.

"It doesn’t have to decimate the valley - it can run underground.

“In the photo you can see the sign says Welcome to Loshes Woodland, but Welcome to the Valley of the Pylon might well be more appropriate.”

Sara Wilcox, National Grid spokeswoman, said it the cost of putting cables underground would be 12-17 times more than overhead.

However, Mr Holland, 55, said villagers had contacted contractors and found it would only cost two to three times more to put it underground.

National Grid major projects manager David Mercer said: “We recognise that the proposed overhead line is a major development and we are committed to full public consultation."

A consultation will take palce on October 1.