OIL is being brought to the surface from under a Hampshire farm after more than five years of tests.

The strike at Matterley Farm off the A31 near Winchester was hailed as the largest onshore find in Britain for 20 years when it was made in August 2003.

Experts have since revised down their estimates, but Star Energy, the firm hoping to sell it, is now filling two or three road tankers with so-called black gold per week on a trial basis.

In three to four months, the firm should know if commercial extraction makes financial sense.

Residents raised concerns after the initial strike that works traffic would rise significantly.

Cllr Steve Gapper, chairman of Itchen Valley Parish Council, said: “If it’s only a couple of lorry movements every week then that’s no problem, certainly compared with the amount of traffic already on the A31.”

Landowner Peveril Bruce said: “The oil company only has one or two tankers, and apart from the drilling a while ago, we don’t really notice that they are there.”