Plan for fracking 'years behind schedule' and has cost taxpayer £32m

Spending watchdog finds that only three wells have been dug, despite aim to have 20 by 2020

The government's plan to establish fracking across the UK is years behind schedule and has cost the taxpayer at least 32m so far, Whitehall's spending watchdog has found.

An investigation by the National Audit Office (NAO) said the shale gas industry has launched only three wells in three years, even though the plan was to establish 20 by the middle of next year.