Campaigners say the future of a lake could be secured after record ash sales to the construction industry.

Save Radley Lakes campaigners say Didcot Power station's boom in sales mean Thrupp Lake does not need to be used as a dump.

But owner RWE npower is not so sure.

Last year the company sold more than 490,000 tonnes of spent fuel ash. This, together with a small amount sent to landfill, has seen a reduction in the mount of ash stockpiled at Didcot.

Save Radley Lakes chairman Basil Crowley said: "To put it into perspective this amount of ash is nearly as much as npower say it will put into Thrupp Lake over the next five to eight years.

"What this shows is that with the will of its management npower can operate as it has done for more than two years without dumping ash at Radley. If the ash sales are sustained then there is certainly no need to destroy Thrupp Lake."

Dr Crowley congratulated the power company on a "remarkable achievement". The manager of Didcot power station, John Rainford, said the company was pleased with the way it had been able to sell and find alternative uses for ash.

Mr Rainford said: "However, ash sales and contracts are never guaranteed and there are risks attached. In addition, the weather during last winter was milder, reducing the need for generation, and as a result Didcot has produced less ash in that period.

"Over the coming years it will be even more difficult to match the supply of ash with need from the construction industry, as the bulk of our electricity generation will be much more concentrated during the winter, due to European legislation."