57 arrests at power station protest

Nearly 60 people were arrested during a protest at a power station, police said yesterday.

The 37 men and 20 women were arrested for a variety of offences following the demonstration at the Ratcliffe-on-Soar power station at the weekend, Nottinghamshire Police said.

Those detained were aged between 18 and 58 and from across the country. They were held on suspicion of aggravated trespass, criminal damage and assaulting a police officer, amongst other offences.

A 20-year-old woman received a caution for obstructing a police officer while the remaining 56 have been bailed.

They are due to report to Nottingham's Bridewell police station between mid-December and mid-January.

A spokesman for Nottinghamshire Police said: "Following the conclusion of the protest, detectives have started reviewing all the available evidence, with the aim of identifying any other individuals who committed criminal offences during the course of the protest but escaped arrest. We will be making every effort to bring those people to justice."

More than 1,000 demonstrators converged on the giant coal-powered Ratcliffe-on-Soar site on Saturday for a 24-hour "swoop", with clashes breaking out between police and protesters as they tried to tear up perimeter fencing.

Demonstrators, under the banner the Great Climate Swoop, included supporters of three pressure groups - the Camp for Climate Action, Plane Stupid and Climate Rush.

Protesters were bitten by police dogs and suffered other injuries during the demonstrations.

The 2,000mw coal-fired power station is owned by the energy company E.ON and is said to be one of the largest producers of carbon dioxide in Britain.

At least three demonstrators succeeded in gaining access to the heavily guarded site on Saturday and were arrested.

Natasha Blair, from the Camp for Climate Action, said earlier: "We've achieved what we came here to do: to show that coal has no future and there is a growing movement which is prepared to take action on climate change.

"In the run-up to the UN climate talks in Copenhagen this December, acts of civil disobedience to confront big business and governments that are causing catastrophic climate change are gaining support."

A spokesman for E.ON, which was granted a High Court injunction giving police the power to arrest anyone trying to enter the site, said: "There aren't any winners or losers here. It was a less than peaceful protest."