Four arrested at coal mine protest site

Police officers were deployed to the site to "facilitate peaceful protest", the force said

Four people have been arrested after allegedly chaining themselves to a coal mine opening as part of a climate change protest.

Police attended a protest at Ffos-y-Fran in Merthyr Tydfil on Wednesday, where protestors demonstrated against continued operation at the site.

South Wales Police said “a number” of the group chained themselves to the opening of the mine, and four were arrested on suspicion of aggravated trespass.

They were a 43-year-old woman from Exeter, Devon, a 45-year-old woman from Dorset, a 75-year-old woman from Llanidloes, Powys, and a 68-year-old man from Caerphilly.

Merthyr (South Wales) Ltd, the operators of the UK's largest and last opencast coal mine at Ffos-y-Fran, has appealed an order from the local authority to stop digging for coal.

It had been given until the end of July to stop all coal extraction, after its application for more time was refused in April on climate grounds.

The mine's planning permission ran out in September 2022 and protestors argued its continued operation was unlawful.

The protestors say digging should have halted at the site much sooner

Supt Michelle Conquer said the group “has engaged in acts of trespass and have deployed lock-on tactics at the location”.

She said: “A number of protestors chained themselves to the entrance gate. Officers have spent considerable time negotiating with the protestors to offer them the opportunity to voluntarily relocate and remove their own lock on equipment. This option was declined or ignored.

“As a result, four people were arrested on suspicion of aggravated trespass.”