January 2014 fracking timeline
31/1/14 The Crown Prosecution Service reveals that 35 charges arising from the Balcombe anti-fracking protests have been dropped before reaching trial. More
Balcombe anti-fracking protests cost Cuadrilla £2,500 an hour, court told
11/2/14 Cuadrilla’s drilling supervisor at its site at Balcombe told Brighton Magistrates Court this afternoon that delays caused by last summer’s protests cost the oil exploration company £2,500 an hour. James Whitham was giving evidence on the first day of the trial of five environmental campaigners, including Natalie […]
Anti-fracking campaigners face trial on trades union charges
11/2/14 A group of environmental campaigners who used locks or superglue to block the entrance to Cuadrilla’s oil exploration site at Balcombe have gone on trial charged under an obscure piece of legislation designed to prevent secondary picketing. Natalie Hynde, 31, of St Leonards-on-Sea, Simon Medhurst, 55, of […]
Results of Balcombe policing review due in a “few weeks”
6/2/14 Sussex police says it hopes an external review of the policing operation at last year’s Balcombe anti-fracking protests will be completed in “the next few weeks”. The review into Operation Mansell is currently being carried out by Hertfordshire Constabulary. The Sussex Chief Constable Martin Richards told the […]
Campaigner found guilty of obstructing the police for “going beyond the agreed level of protest”
An anti-fracking campaigner heard today (30/1/14) that his human right to freedom of speech through protesting did not give him a right to wilfully obstruct the police. Keyon Bayandor, 25, from Bristol, denied obstructing PC Michael Butler at the Balcombe protests on August 1st last year. But he […]
Anti-fracking demonstrator found guilty of assault – but cleared on resisting arrest
An environmental campaigner at the anti-fracking protests at Balcombe was found guilty this afternoon (29/1/14) of assaulting a police officer but was acquitted of resisting arrest. Tony Jones, 24, of Hackney, London, was accused of pushing Sergeant Michael Howe in the chest on August 19th last year during […]
Two anti-fracking campaigners found guilty of assaulting the police at Balcombe protests – one found not guilty
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 […]
Police officer “lost his temper” at anti-fracking protests – court hears
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 […]
Police held Balcombe campaigner in headlock – court hears
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, […]
Balcombe policing costs reach nearly £4m
The final cost of policing last summer’s demonstrations outside Cuadrilla’s oil exploration site at Balcombe was £3.985 million. A press release from the Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner, Katy Bourne, said the total included police salaries, overtime, rest day working and support from other police forces. Mrs Bourne has […]
DRILL OR DROP? 