North Yorkshire fracking protests: More charges and arrests
- Published
Police have made more than 20 arrests over protests at the fracking site in Kirby Misperton
There have been more arrests and charges over protests outside a shale gas fracking site in North Yorkshire.
Two women, aged 56 and 66, have been charged with wilfully obstructing the highway after being arrested at Kirby Misperton on Tuesday.
Four women, aged 39, 40, 54 and 66, were also arrested on suspicion of wilfully obstructing a highway earlier.
North Yorkshire Police said protesters had been lying in the road locked to steel tubes.
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Third Energy was granted planning permission to frack in May 2016 but is yet to get final government approval.
On Wednesday, two women were cut free from metal tubing at about 11:45 BST followed by another two at 13:15, the police said.
Third Energy expects to receive final permission to start fracking before the end of the year and is attempting to move equipment onto the site.
Opponents, who have already lost a legal challenge over the planning consent, set up camp nearby and have been participating in demonstrations nearly every day.
Protest arrests by day
Tuesday, 19 September
Man, 69, accepted a caution for obstructing a police officer
23-year-old man accepted a caution for wilfully obstructing a highway
Man, 33, released without charge
Wednesday, 20 September
Two men, aged 53 and 23, and two women, aged 54 and 40, all charged with obstructing Habton Road in Kirby Misperton
Thursday, 21 September
18-year-old woman charged with assaulting a police officer in the execution of her duty and assaulting a police officer in the execution of his duty
26-year-old woman charged with obstructing a police officer
33-year-old man charged with obstructing the highway
35-year-old woman charged with obstructing the highway
44-year-old woman charged with obstructing the highway
Monday, 25 September
A 61-year-old man arrested and released with no further action
A 56-year-old woman charged with obstructing a police constable
Four women aged 35, 36, 54 and 62 have been charged with wilfully obstructing a highway and besetting a place to compel the abstention of a lawful act (an offence under the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992)
Tuesday, 26 September
Two women, aged 56 and 66, charged with wilfully obstructing the highway
Wednesday, 27 September
Four women, aged 39, 40, 54 and 66, arrested on suspicion of wilfully obstructing a highway
All those charged are due to appear before magistrates in October and November.