Kirby Misperton fracking protesters guilty of blocking road

The pair stayed overnight on top of a tower built from wooden boards

Two anti-fracking campaigners have been found guilty of wilfully obstructing the highway in the first trial linked to protests at Kirby Misperton.

Julia Collings and Ronald Holloran sat on top of a wooden tower which blocked Habton Road near Third Energy's KM8 well site.

At York Magistrates' Court, each was given a six-month conditional discharge and told to pay costs of £220.

North Yorkshire Police has made 85 arrests in the village since September.

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The force said a group of protesters brought a three-sided tower into the road on the evening of 15 October.

Dr Collings, 40, of Row Road, Northampton, and 52-year-old Mr Holloran, of Suddaby Close, Hull, climbed up and stayed there overnight.

The pair refused to come down the following morning, with police building scaffolding around it to remove the tower.

After the protesters refused to move, police put up scaffolding and removed the tower

Fracking is the process of drilling down into the earth before a high-pressure water mixture is directed at rock to release the gas inside.

Opponents say it has several negative impacts on the environment, including water contamination, earthquakes and pollution caused by increased traffic.

Third Energy recently revealed fracking for shale gas at KM8 has stalled for at least another six months, with a new autumn timescale set.

Speaking after the trial, which concluded on Monday, Dr Collings said the pair had decided to take action due to her concerns about the gas extraction technique.