Anti-fracking activists protested outside Lincoln Magistrates’ Court in support of people on trial who they believe “put their livelihood at risk to protect the earth”.
Five people appeared in court on Wednesday, March 13. After leaving, one of them told reporters they were bailed to return back to court in August.
The protestors supporting them wanted to raise awareness of the dangers of climate change and protecting peaceful protest.
Protest outside haulage firm
As previously reported, seven people were arrested and charged with offences including assaulting a police officer after a protest outside a Lincoln haulage firm.
The group set up camp in the early hours of Friday, February 22. Photo: Daniel Jaines for The Lincolnite
The campaigners previously claimed the company provided services to ‘fracking companies’ IGas Energy, Dart Energy, Cuadrilla Resources and Rathlin Energy
The haulage firm argued they are “the good guys” and claimed they have “never” delivered fracking equipment.
Court protest
A group of around six protestors were gathered outside Lincoln Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday in support of the five people on trial.
They were from groups including Frack Free Lincolnshire, Green Party, Green Peace, Extinction Rebellion Lincolnshire, Friends of the Earth and concerned citizens.
LouLou, 23, wanted to support people who had put their livelihood at risk to protect the earth. Photo: The Lincolnite
LouLou, 23, who has been with the group for a few months, said: “We are here supporting them. They put their livelihood at risk to protect the earth.”
Geoff Jones told The Lincolnite he was in court a few weeks ago facing a similar offence.
Geoff Jones was among those protesting outside the court. Photo: The Lincolnite
He said he was arrested for obstructing the highway at an oil drilling site in Biscathorpe in January. Colleagues supported him at a preliminary hearing in Lincoln last month and he said the main trial is pending in May.
Geoff said: “I’m in solidarity with them (the five in court), we believe in the same things, trying to protect the planet and tackle climate change.
“We are trying to stop more fossil fuels being exploited and drilled.
“The main purpose of the protest is to raise awareness for people walking past about the dangers of climate change and protecting peaceful protest.
“People like us were arrested and charged for offences that wouldn’t be crimes in other counties. We know people in other areas like Nottinghamshire and Lancashire who’ve been arrested for the same offence but released without charge.”
Geoff added that according to the Paris Climate Accord there is enough fossil fuels that have already been exploited to make it very difficult to limit global warming to two degrees above pre-industrial levels.
Daniel Lucas from Lincolnshire and Brian from Durham were among the protestors. Photo: The Lincolnite
Another of the protestors Daniel Lucas added: “In the future the actions of oil companies will be regarded as a crime if there are any people alive.”
Court hearing
Roz Massey, Mathilda, Tep Robinson, Ross Monaghan and a man who wished to be known as Om outside the court following their trial. Photo: The Lincolnite
Ross Monaghan, who was among the five in court, argued: “We were justified in taking our actions.”
Police previously named the seven charged as follows:
Ross Monaghan, 35, of Tinker Lane, Barnby Moor – charged with common assault and failing to comply with police to leave the area
Mathilda Dennis, 25, of Hall Lane, Louth – charged with failing to comply
Rosalyn Massey, 42, of Spring Road, Nottinghamshire – charged with failing to comply
Stephanie Robinson, 28, of no fixed address – charged with failing to comply
Paul Warr, 49, of Tinkers Lane, Blyth – charged with failing to comply
Louise Hammond, 56, of Mission, Doncaster – charged with assaulting an emergency worker and threatening behaviour. She appeared in court on February 25
Nicholas Grant, 45, of Preston New Road, Blackpool – charged with threatening behaviour. Nicholas is due to appear before Lincoln Magistrates on March 14
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Lincolnshire Police are appealing for witnesses or anyone with dashcam footage following a two-vehicle collision in which a 12-year-old boy sadly died.
Following a call to police at 9.48am today (16 January), officers attended the B1190 at Bardney.
The collision involved two vehicles: a silver Mercedes-Benz A220 and a silver Ford Galaxy.
The 12-year-old boy, a passenger in the Galaxy, was sadly pronounced dead at the scene.
The driver of the Mercedes, a man, has been taken to hospital. The status of his injuries is currently unknown.
Roads have been closed following the incident while emergency services attend.
If you saw the collision, or have information, you can contact police in one of the following ways:
Call 101, quoting Incident 141 of 16 January.
Email [email protected] putting “Incident 141 of 16 January” in the subject line.
North East Lincolnshire’s MPs have stood by the Prime Minister after he apologised for breaking rules by attending a lockdown party.
Grimsby MP Lia Nici dismissed calls for him to resign, saying ‘nobody is perfect’, and Cleethorpes MP Martin Vickers said it was the wrong time to call a leadership contest.
Boris Johnson admitted this week he went to a ‘bring your own booze’ party in the first Covid lockdown.
He has apologised for the decision, saying he believed it was work related but regretted it in hindsight.
Although opposition MPs have called for him to resign, Lia Nici, Martin Vickers and other Tories have stood by him for now.
However, the Cleethorpes MP said the party was ‘irresponsible and reckless’.
“He was certainly right to apologise, and the party in question shouldn’t have taken place,” Mr Vickers said.
“I share the anger and frustration of my constituents at these events and it does appear that lockdown rules were broken. That is irresponsible, reckless and unacceptable and disciplinary action, and possibly prosecutions should follow.
“It begs the question of how it got to the stage of the events taking place. Senior figures should have realised that this was wrong and the event should never have got off the ground.”
Grimsby MP Lia Nici (Conservative)
Grimsby MP Lia Nici also welcomed his apology for breaking the rules.
“I think it’s a positive thing that he has apologised for being outside in that garden on that day in 2020,” she said.
“He clearly wanted to thank staff who have been working hard under under Covid rules. Was it advisable to thank them that way though?
“It certainly would have been safer than inside, but the email from the civil servant telling employees to ‘Bring Your Own Booze’ is concerning.
“People are quite rightly upset about it. Everyone should have been following rules that the public were abiding by.”
A probe into the parties is now being carried out by civil servant Sue Gray.
Neither MP joined the Labour party in calling for Mr Johnson to quit – but said the report should come out quickly.
Cleethorpes MP Martin Vickers (Conservative) | Photo: Steve Smailes for Lincolnshire Reporter
Mr Vickers said: “My colleagues and I need to consider what’s in the best interest of the country. A leadership contest would paralyse the country while we’re managing the pandemic and a volatile international situation.
“The last thing we want is a complete vacuum of power at the centre of government for six weeks.
“We should wait for Sue Gray’s report into the parties that is being prepared.”
Mrs Nici said: “Nobody is perfect. The Prime Minister is a good man who wants to do the right thing for the UK and Grimsby.
“We need to focus on where we’re going – not having the national media fixated on today.
“However, as a manager and a leader myself, I can say we need to see the report sooner rather than later. If people have intentionally been breaking the rules then there should be disciplinary action.”
If the report finds that Johnson broke rules, it could convince Conservative backbenchers to trigger a leadership contest overthrow him.
Mr Johnson said he hadn’t realised he was at a party and “bitterly regrets” that way that it was handled.
Labour leader Sir Kier Starmer said that Mr Johnson’s denials were “so ridiculous it’s actually offensive” to the public at a heated Prime Minister’s Questions.
New CCTV cameras will be installed north of Lincoln city centre after Lincolnshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner secured an additional £50,000 of funding.
The original £400,000 scheme came after a successful bid by Lincolnshire’s PCC Marc Jones. This involved broadening the CCTV coverage to include the main walking routes out of Lincoln city centre and in three areas.
The funding will extend the new Safer Streets CCTV and will allow for the creation of 360 coverage out of the city centre. It will now allow the cameras to monitor walking routes to and from Bishop Grosseteste University.
The money for the plan – developed in partnership with the City of Lincoln Council – comes from the government’s Safer Streets Fund.
The scheme also includes funding to develop teaching materials which promote women’s rights and challenge attitudes; a Night Safety Charter pledging to design public spaces to make them safe at night; and training for bar, hotel and restaurant staff regarding vulnerability and tackling predators.
All elements of the plan will be co-developed with women and girls and experts in the field.
Lincolnshire Police and Crime Commissioner Marc Jones. | Photo: Daniel Jaines
The Lincoln-based bid is the third successful Safer Streets bid for Lincolnshire. So far the PCC has brought £500.000 in additional funding to the county for projects in the north and east coast.
“I am delighted to be able to secure additional funding to extend the CCTV cameras even further,” said Mr Jones.
“The project was already going to make a significant difference in helping residents feel and be safe and the extra money will ensure that security is extended to even more people.
“It is excellent news and another step forward in protecting our communities.”
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