Campaigners seeking to stop an incinerator being built have turned to Ed Miliband's wife for help.

Protest group Stop the Incinerator, which wants to block plans to build an energy recovery facility (ERF) in Beddington Lane, have enlisted the help of top environmental lawyer Justine Thornton - wife of Labour party leader Ed Miliband.

Last month Sutton Council gave planning permission for the controversial incinerator to be built on the existing landfill site.

The facility is set to replace the landfill site and will burn up to 275,000 tonnes of rubbish from Sutton, Croydon, Merton and Kingston every year.

But campaigners fear emissions from the plant's 90m chimney will harm people living near it, particularly those in South Croydon who will be affected by prevailing winds over the plant and have called for the plans to be blocked.

The scheme is set to go ahead unless London Mayor Boris Johnson vetoes it but campaigners have now turned to lawyers as they believe they could still stop the plans on legal grounds.

Stop the Incinerator is working with law firm 39 Essex Street which has given the case to Mrs Thornton to look at.

Stop the Incinerator spokesman Shasha Khan said: "We feel environmental law has been ignored or circumvented so we approached barristers to give their opinion on whether we could win a case at judicial review.

"They've had a preliminary look at the case and say it looks favourable for us.

"We are looking to get their opinion on this quickly so we can take it to the Mayor before he makes his decision."

Unless Mr Johnson blocks the plans, the incinerator could be built as early as 2017. When the plant is running the landfill site will be converted into a park.

To afford the legal fees, the group is holding a fundraising event featuring live bands, DJs and more at the Green Dragon pub in Croydon High Street on Friday, June 28. Entry costs £5.