11 Held for Power Station Break-In

11 Held for Power Station Break-In

Apr 12 - Birmingham Post; Birmingham (UK)

Eleven environmental protesters were arrested yesterday after a demonstration at a power plant.

Four of the group had chained themselves to buildings and equipment after breaking into E.ON UK's Ratcliffe-on-Soar power station, in Nottinghamshire, yesterday morning.

All 11 were held on suspicion of aggravated trespass and are now being questioned by police.

Inspector Glenn Harper, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: "A number of arrests have been made of the people who entered the site. A number still remain outside the power station."

A group calling itself Eastside Climate Action organised the stunt to raise awareness about what it said were the effects of coal- fired power stations on climate change.

"We feel that not enough is happening quickly enough," said a group member. "If we want a future for our planet, we really need to act now."

The Nottinghamshire plant is said to produce enough electricity for two million people.

E.ON UK press officer Emily Highmore said: "Clearly they were environmental protesters, but as a company we have invested more than pounds 300 million to ensure that Ratcliffe is one of the most efficient coal-fired power stations in the UK."

The protesters did not cause any damage, she added.

"As soon as they accessed that area we obviously shut down that part of the plant to make it safe, but that did not affect the operation of the power station as a whole."

In its literature, the energy company says its power station produces enough electricity for about two million people and is one of the most efficient coal-fired plants in the UK.

It claims to have introduced a number of eco-friendly initiatives "to minimise our potential impact on the environment".

The company also says it is committed to wildlife, accommodating six habitats to threatened species at the Nottinghamshire site.