Police make 22 arrests ahead of planned protest at Drax Power Station

Police have arrested 22 protestors in connection with a planned ‘climate camp’ at the Drax Power Station near Selby, North Yorkshire.

North Yorkshire Police and British Transport Police said the arrests, made with support from West Yorkshire Police, are for alleged public order offences including conspiracy to interfere with key national infrastructure.

Various items associated with large-scale protests have also been seized by authorities. The 22 individuals remain in police custody at this time.

Superintendent Ed Haywood-Noble of North Yorkshire Police said: “Policing is not anti-protest, we are anti-crime and we are here to protect the public.

“The right to peaceful protest is part of UK Democracy. It’s our responsibility to manage the protest in line with legal obligations. We also have a duty to ensure that people who work at Drax and members of the local community can go about their daily business as usual.

“At a time when police resources are stretched nationally it was essential that we acted both swiftly and robustly to reduce the risk of unlawful activity and disruption over the coming days.”