Eight people charged after anti-fracking protest

Eight people were arrested and charged after an anti-fracking protest at Cuadrilla's site in Preston New Road, Little Plumpton, yesterday, police said.
By The Newsroom
Published 29th Mar 2017, 15:40 BST
Updated 8th Apr 2017, 22:27 BST
The fracking site in Preston New RoadThe fracking site in Preston New Road
The fracking site in Preston New Road

The force said Liz Beck, 55, of no fixed address in Bolton, Jordan Walton, 26, of Catterall Close, Blackpool, Scott Breen, 42, of Dugdales Close, Blackpool, and Christine Steele, 63, of Alexandra Street, Preston, are due to appear before magistrates in Blackpool on May 22 charged with wilful obstruction of a highway and failing to comply with prohibited assemble direction.

Charged with the same offences but due to appear on June 5 were Louise Hammond, 54, of Cedar Avenue, Scunthorpe, Maria Allen, 54, of Low Road, Halton, Barry Slipper, 69, of Tamar Grove, Southampton, and Alan Mitchell, 44, of Squires Gate Lane, Blackpool, the force added.

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Police reduced the road – set to have its speed limit reduced from 50mph to 20mph by the county council for safety reasons – to one lane after a number of protestors ‘locked on’ in front of Cuadrilla’s gates yesterday.

The move, designed to make it hard for protestors to be moved, was aimed at disrupting work on the site as part of the ongoing protests there, and saw police warn of potential disruption to traffic on the road.