13/2/14 Charges brought under trades union legislation against two anti-fracking campaigners were dropped this morning before they gave evidence in court. Robert Basto, 66, of Reigate, and Jamie Spiers, 29, of no fixed address, had denied besetting Cuadrilla’s staff, contractors and suppliers at its oil exploration site at […]
The Environment Secretary, Owen Paterson, said this afternoon (28/1/14) he wanted to see fracking wells across the UK countryside. He said fears about fracking had been exaggerated and environmental concerns were groundless. Mr Paterson was giving evidence to the investigation into shale gas by the House of Lords […]
Two environmental campaigners, Timothy Harris and Kaity Squires, have been found guilty of assaulting police at last summer’s anti-fracking protests at Balcombe. They were both conditionally discharged for 12 months and each ordered to pay £300 costs. Another campaigner, Zachary Hewitt, was found not guilty on the same […]
West Sussex County Council has said an Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) would not be needed for Cuadrilla’s new proposals at Balcombe. The company’s planning application was published yesterday (23/1/14) on the West Sussex County Council website. The application is for temporary permission for flow testing and monitoring a lateral borehole, […]
Two people who attended the anti-fracking protests at Balcombe spoke this afternoon about how they went to the aid of a fellow demonstrator who they thought was being assaulted by a policeman. Kaity Squires, 20, from Portsmouth, and Timothy Harris, 29, from Crewkerne in Somerset, were giving evidence […]
An environmental campaigner described this morning (23/1/14) how a police officer held him in a headlock during a struggle at the anti-fracking protests at Balcombe. Zachary Hewitt was giving evidence at his trial at Brighton Magistrates Court. Mr Hewitt, 23, of Bexhill-on-sea, is accused along with another campaigner, […]
A police officer monitoring the crowds at last summer’s Balcombe anti-fracking protests told a court this afternoon (22/1/14) how he was punched in the chest by a young woman demonstrator. PC Mario Ciaramella, usually based at Worthing Police Station, was giving evidence at the trial of three environmental […]
A large number of environmental campaigners stood on top of the well pad at Cuadrilla’s oil exploration site at Balcombe this afternoon (19/1/14). The action came at the end of a rally outside the site, which attracted around 300 people. They included residents of Balcombe, members of last […]
Anti-fracking groups from across the UK, gathering in Balcombe this afternoon (19/1/14), were told they had to win the battle against shale gas. The Green MEP and French farmer, Jose Bove, told a rally outside Cuadrilla’s oil exploration site in the village: “Losing is not an option. For the […]
The acquittal of 11 anti-fracking campaigners last week (9/1/14) was ignored by most of the mainstream media, despite detailed and prominent coverage of their arrests in July. The group was found not guilty of obstructing the highway outside Cuadrilla’s oil exploration site at Balcombe, after a three-day trial […]
DRILL OR DROP? 