Mayo pipeline 'auction' removed from eBay

The fight to stop energy giant Shell building a controversial onshore gas pipeline in Co Mayo was taken to the Internet today.

Pranksters were offering a section of the pipeline for sale on the ebay.ie auction site, but ebay removed the item from public view. It was taken down as "bidding" hit the dizzy heights of €21.

The ad described the product as an "experimental gas pipeline" that was "unwanted by local people".

According to the ad, it is a large, welded, steel pipeline "intended to pump raw untreated odourless (and extremely dangerous) natural gas from the bottom of the sea through a residential area on Ireland's beautiful and historic north west coast."

"Unsuitable for present location on health and safety grounds. Also illegally placed on site without consent of government or local people. Slightly rusty," the advertisement said.

Bidding started at at 10pm last night at €1.50 and eight bids later the price was at €21. There were more than nine days to go in the "auction", before it was removed.

An eBay notice posted this afternoon read: "If the item was removed by eBay, please consider this transaction cancelled. If anybody contacts you to complete the sale, please ignore the request," the notice said.

Five local men, who became known as the Rossport Five, spent 94 days in jail during the summer over their protests against the pipeline.

Almost three months after a ministerial direction was issued, Shell E&P Ireland this week begun dismantling an illegally welded section of the pipeline in north Mayo.

However, there is conflicting information from Shell and the Department of the Marine on the continuation of the dismantling operation, with reports that some staff were withdrawn to do a "safety course".