M25 protests: Report into journalist arrests imminent says Hertfordshire PCC

Hertfordshire police and crime commissioner David Lloyd said an independent report was due soon

An independent report looking at the arrests of journalists covering climate protests on the M25 in Hertfordshire is due "imminently", a police and crime commissioner said.

Three were arrested while covering last week's protests before being released.

Commissioner David Lloyd has been asked by a police and crime panel how he would hold his force to account.

He told them he was not "defending" the officers, but the media needed to look at how protests were reported.

LBC's Charlotte Lynch, documentary maker Rich Felgate and photographer Tom Bowles were arrested by Hertfordshire police during protests by Just Stop Oil, who brought traffic to a standstill by climbing gantries over the London orbital motorway.

Mr Felgate and Mr Bowles said they were held in police custody for about 13 hours.

Ms Lynch described her arrest - which she said was on suspicion of conspiracy to commit public nuisance - as "absolutely terrifying".

Conservative commissioner Mr Lloyd reminded councillors and members of the public at the meeting that chief constable Charlie Hall had asked an independent force to look into the arrests and its findings would soon be revealed, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

Mr Lloyd said he did not think the protests would take place if the media said "we're not going to report in a high-profile way"

Mr Lloyd suggested to the panel that as Just Stop Oil only advertised that a protest would be taking place on the M25, a 117-mile (188km) long road, it was right that officers questioned journalists about how they knew where the demonstration was taking place.

But both the College of Policing and the Independent Press Standards Organisation have acknowledged journalists have a "moral obligation" to protect confidential sources and tip-offs.

Mr Lloyd also questioned how we could "get to the point where these unlawful acts aren't taking place".

"All I want the press to do is to admit that they are extremely powerful - which they are, and that they have editorial freedom - which they do," he said.

"I think that if they said, 'We're not going to report in a high-profile way,' I don't think the protests would take place."

Last week, Hertfordshire Police said measures were now in place so legitimate media could carry out their reporting.

Just Stop Oil said it was calling for the government to tackle climate change by ending the UK's use of fossil fuels, by investing in renewable energy and by improving building insulation.