[P]olice are at the scene of an incident at Kirby Misperton this morning.
Four people are lying in the road outside the hydraulic fracturing site with their arms locked into barrels made of concrete and metal.
Police liaison officers are at the scene to ensure they are safe and well. Officers have spoken to the people involved and they stated they would be lying in the road for 24 hours, or ‘as long as it takes’. This would cause significant disruption to local businesses.
Superintendent Alisdair Dey, of North Yorkshire Police, said: “Our core tactic is to engage with people on all sides of the issue, and ask them to work with us to make this a safe and peaceful protest.
“However, once the balance has tipped from peaceful protest to deliberate acts that are unlawful and cause unreasonable disruption to others, including companies going about their lawful business, then we need to take action.
“Whilst we would always wish to negotiate, specialist police teams are on site assessing the situation.”
At this time, Habton Road remains open, but local road users should anticipate some delays due to the disruption caused. Further updates will be posted on social media.
