Four more arrested as fracking protests continue at village site
FOUR MORE people have been arrested as anti-fracking protests continue in a North Yorkshire village.
North Yorkshire Police have now arrested a total of seven people in the past two days as campaigners attempt to prevent specialist equipment getting on to the site of a planned test-fracking site in Kirby Misperton.
At lunchtime yesterday, two men aged 53 and 23 were arrested on suspicion of wilful obstruction of a highway. The older man was also arrested on suspicion of having an article with intent to destroy or damage property.
A 54-year-old woman was arrested at about 2.20pm on suspicion of wilful obstruction of a highway, while another woman was detained at the same time on suspicion of obstructing a person engaged in lawful activity, and possessing a bladed article in a public place.
Superintendent Lindsey Robson, of North Yorkshire Police, said: “We’ll continue to take a neighbourhood policing approach to protests – that means we will talk to people, to explain what is acceptable in terms of safety and reasonableness, and ask them to work with us to make this a safe and peaceful protest.
“We would rather talk to people and persuade them to move, than have to make arrests.”
Company Third Energy has started moving equipment onto the site in Ryedale in preparation for test-fracking beginning later this year and on Tuesday dozens of the protesters tried to prevent vehicles getting to the location by sitting in front of the gates and taking part in ‘go-slow’ walks in front of lorries.
Third Energy intends to conduct around eight weeks of testing into whether the controversial process of extracting gas from shale is commercially viable.
The tests will see the company attempt the fracking process at five different depths using an existing two-mile deep well.
Approval is needed from the Oil & Gas Authority, the Environment Agency and the Secretary of State before work can begin on the site.