The Brighton MP, Caroline Lucas, has been acquitted on the Public Order Act charge she faced arising from last year’s anti-fracking protests at Balcombe. Four other protesters who were on trial with her were also cleared of the same offence.

Miss Lucas, 53, along with Ruth Potts, 39, of Totnes, Ruth Jarman, 50, of Hook, Sheila Menon 41, of London and Josef Dobraszczyk, 22, of Bristol, were accused of failing to comply with a condition imposed by police under Section 14 of the Public Order Act. They are also accused of obstructing the highway. All five had denied all the charges.

District judge Tim Pattinson has yet to rule on a verdict on the charge of obstructing the highway.

A six-day trial at Brighton Magistrates Court had heard how they were part of a sit-down protest in the gateway to Cuadrilla’s oil exploration site at Balcombe on August 19^th last year.