Arrests made at climate change protest

Hundreds of climate change protesters have converged at one of Britain's biggest coal-fired power stations. Sources at the scene of the demonstration outside Ratcliffe-on-Soar power station near Nottingham said three men jumped the perimeter fence, only to be quickly apprehended by officers. Ten people were arrested at the plant this morning on suspicion of conspiracy to commit aggravated trespass. A spokeswoman for Nottinghamshire Police said: "Police officers stationed at the perimeter of Ratcliffe-on-Soar power station are facing groups of protesters, around 50-strong in places, trying to gain entry to the site. "Officers are using appropriate force to stop the protesters, but are not trying to contain them. All protesters are free to move away from the perimeter. A breach of the fence line has now been secured and a number of further arrests have been made." The protesters, under the banner the Great Climate Swoop, include supporters of three pressure groups - the Camp for Climate Action, Plane Stupid and Climate Rush. Many were peacefully protesting at the power station's main entrance, but police said breakaway groups were pulling down fences and breaching security measures. Ratcliffe-on-Soar was chosen as the activists' target in an online vote following the Climate Camp held in London in August, with some threatening to break into the site and close it down. The coal-fired power station, which is owned by the energy company E.ON, is said to be one of the largest producers of carbon dioxide in Britain.

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ITN | October 17, 2009

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