Taxpayers hit with huge bill as climate protesters face court

TAXPAYERS face a huge bill as courts prepare to deal with more than 1,000 Extinction Rebellion climate change protesters arrested on demos in April.

Two courtrooms at Westminster magistrates are being set aside for a day each week for 19 weeks to hear the cases.

The cost is expected to run into hundreds of thousands of pounds. So far 232 files of evidence have been passed to the Crown Prosecution Service.

The Metropolitan Police said in May that they would push for all the 1,130 people arrested, including British Olympic gold medal-winning canoeist Etienne Stott, 40, to face charges. The Extinction Rebellion group’s tactics at the London demos included roadblocks at Waterloo Bridge, Oxford Circus and Marble Arch, while some glued themselves to trains and buildings.

Solicitor Raj Chada, from Hodge, Jones and Allen, which represents around 300 of the protesters, said: “To prosecute 1,000 people for peaceful protests beggars belief. At a time when more and more violent crimes aren’t being prosecuted the CPS has decided to waste taxpayers’ money by dragging all of those arrested in front of the courts.”