Northern Ireland faces court case over £300m north-south power pylon plan

Campaigners claim NI is being used as a whipping boy' to feed Irish republic's energy-hungry datacentres

An ambitious 350m (300m) plan to connect electricity grids across the island of Ireland is heading for the high court after a challenge brought by campaigners claiming Northern Ireland was being used as a whipping boy" to feed the republic's energy-hungry datacentres.

An estimated 150 landowners representing 6,500 residents have called on the Northern Ireland minister for infrastructure, Liz Kimmins, to suspend the construction of more than 100 towering pylons in Armagh and Tyrone until a judicial review, due to start on 9 April, has been completed.