Six Brighton people among 29 arrested at Balcombe fracking protest

Six people from Brighton and Hove were among the 29 people who were arrested at the anti-fracking protest in Balcombe yesterday (Monday 19 August).

Caroline Lucas, the Green MP for Brighton Pavilion, was among the six from Brighton.

Seven others from Brighton and Hove have already been charged with offences alleged to have taken place during the protests against the oil and gas company Cuadrilla.

Sussex Police said that the following arrests were made.

Arrested on suspicion of breach of section 14 of the Public Order Act 1986 and obstructing the highway:

• A 22-year-old man from Earley, Reading.
• A 62-year-old man from Warrington.
• A 15-year-old girl from Brighton.
• A 29-year-old man from Nottingham.
• A 50-year-old woman from Hook, Hampshire.
• A 33-year-old woman from Liverpool.

Arrested on suspicion of breach of section 14 of the Public Order Act 1986:

• An 18-year-old man from Crosby, Liverpool.
• A 56-year-old woman from Brighton.
• A 30-year-old man, no address given.
• A 34-year-old man from Liverpool.
• A 33-year-old man from Reading.
• A 46-year-old man from Reading.
• A 27-year-old man from Brighton.
• A 29-year-old man from Southsea, Hampshire.
• A 52-year-old woman from Brighton.
• A 41-year-old woman, no address given.
• A 32-year-old woman from Brighton.
• A 30-year-old woman from London.
• A 36-year-old man from Carshalton.
• A 19-year-old woman from Lancaster.

Arrested on suspicion of obstructing the highway:

• A 66-year-old man from Hythe, Southampton.
• A 26-year-old woman from Nottingham.
• A 20-year-old man from Brighton.
• A 39-year-old woman from Bath.
• A 44-year-old man from Ascot.

Other offences:

• A 17-year-old girl from South Brent, Devon, was arrested on suspicion of breach of section 14 of the Public Order Act 1986 and having an offensive weapon.
• A 23-year-old man from London was arrested on suspicion of assaulting a police officer.
• A 26-year-old man from Lancaster was arrested on suspicion of breach of section 14 of the Public Order Act 1986 and assaulting a police officer.

A man arrested earlier on Monday in connection with an incident on Friday (August 16) when a group of people was asked to leave private land close to the drilling site has been charged with using threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour to cause harassment, alarm or distress. Daniel White, 19, of no fixed abode will appear at Crawley Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday 4 September.