18th March 2014

The trial starts today of the first Balcombe resident to be arrested at last year’s anti-fracking protests outside Cuadrilla’s oil exploration site in the village.

Simon Welsh denies a charge under Section 14 of the Public Order Act of taking part in an assembly but failing to comply with a condition imposed by a senior police officer. The case has been allocated three days at Brighton Magistrates Court. The Chief Constable of Sussex is expected to be called as a prosecution witness.

We’ll be covering the whole trial and will be posting regular updates.