Four arrests after washing machine demo at Grangemouth oil refinery

The activists blocked the entrance to the Ineos refinery at Grangemouth

Four climate activists were arrested after chaining themselves to an old washing machine in a protest at the Ineos oil refinery in Grangemouth.

They were among a group of protesters who blocked the entrance to the plant from 19:00 on Friday.

Several activists remained at the scene into the early hours of Saturday morning.

Twenty people from the This Is Rigged organisation were arrested at the same refinery on Wednesday.

On that occasion, police officers used a crane and specialist climbing equipment to bring down protesters who had scaled oil tankers and pipes

Police said 20 people were arrested at the plant in last week's demo

Following the latest arrests, Assistant Chief Constable Wendy Middleton said: "A further four people have been arrested and charged with offences under section 68 of the Public Order Act and breach of the peace at the Ineos site in Grangemouth.

"Decisions about how to police protests require us to balance complex and often competing rights and issues.

"We have a legal duty to protect the rights of people who wish to peacefully protest or counter-protest.

"The guiding principles of policing protests are the safety of protesters, the public and police officers involved, preventing criminal behaviour or disorder and deescalating tensions."