CAMPAIGNERS attacked the government for “dishing out licences to climate criminals” today after a Tory donor-owned firm, previously fined for illegal flaring, secured a licence to drill for fossil fuels.

The government green lit new licences to 17 oil and gas companies in the North Sea in the last week.

Among the companies was EnQuest Heather, a subsidiary of EnQuest, owned by Tory donor Amjad Bseisu.