A campaign group has slammed the government for "ignoring tens of thousands of East Anglians" fighting National Grid plans to build 110 miles of 50 metre-high pylons across the countryside.

Members of Essex Suffolk Norfolk Pylons argue a recent review to fully examine the viability of an offshore grid excluded the region and are calling for the process to be reopened to examine the viability of an offshore grid "versus a destructive, short-termist pylon route across prime East Anglian countryside".

The group's campaigners say they have been refused repeated requests for meetings with the Department for Business Offshore Network Team to negotiate the reopening of the review.

As a result, all those concerned about pylons or other electricity infrastructure in East Anglia are being urged to write to Jacob Rees-Mogg, Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with their concerns.

Rosie Pearson, head of Essex Suffolk Norfolk Pylons, said: "Prime Minister Liz Truss announced last week that community consent will be needed before gas can be extracted by fracking – so why does this requirement not also apply to energy infrastructure?

"Despite being an East Anglian MP, she still has not bothered to respond to our repeated emails seeking her views.”

Under proposals for the ‘East Anglia Green Energy Enablement (GREEN)’ project, a 180-mile route of power lines suspended mostly on new pylons would run through Suffolk and into Essex, past Dedham, Langham and crossing the A12 into Tendring to connect into the site of the East Anglia Connection substation (EAC).

The latest comments from the campaign group come after National Grid publicly admitted it "did not consult on offshore options" as part of the project - despite reportedly saying it would in a private meeting with MPs.

Rosie Pearson concluded: “We urgently need the government to get its head out of the sand.

"An offshore grid makes both financial and strategic sense for energy transmission in East Anglia for the next 50 or more years.

"And how is it fair that the North East of England and Scotland will see an offshore transmission model – and in other parts of the country millions of pounds are being spent removing unsightly pylons?”

A spokesman for the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy said: “Increasing domestic energy generation to help reduce energy bills and further bolster the security of our energy supplies requires an expansion of network infrastructure.

“The Government continues to engage with communities to ensure their views are heard on any projects that could affect local areas.”