Essex oil terminal protesters found guilty

Environmental activists who brought operations at a fuel terminal to a halt for around 40 hours in April have been found guilty of aggravated trespass.

The 12 protesters from Just Stop Oil scaled a 7ft-high fence and chained themselves to the infrastructure at the Exolum station in Thurrock, Essex.

After a three-day trial at Chelmsford magistrates’ court, district Judge Christopher Williams described their actions as “wholly disproportionate”.

They were handed 12-month conditional discharges and must also each pay £300 in costs, as well as a victim surcharge. A 13th defendant, who pleaded guilty, was given a conditional discharge of eight months.