Eight Fylde anti fracking protesters have been cleared of breaking Trade Union laws.



The eight were arrested on June 26 last year and appeared before District Judge Jeff Brailsford at Blackpool Magistrates Court.

However they were all were convicted of wilfully obstructing the highway

The defendants are:Aaron Bell (30) of no fixed abode;Matthew Cornmell (38) of Haig Road,Blackpool;Liam Dodson(27) of Maple Farm,Westby near Blackpool;Jeanette Porter(31) of Shepherd Road,St Annes;Ashley Robinson(23) of Cornwall Avenue,Blackpool;Nick Sheldrick(36) of Clayton Crescent ,Blackpool , Mary-Anne Wall (57) of Ormskirk Road, Skelmersdale and Darren Dennett (38) of Yew Tree Road,Blackpool.

They all denied hindering Cuadrilla staff going about their work and denied the obstruction offence which took place on the main A583 road outside ther Cuadrilla gas exploration site at Little Plumpton near Blackpool.

Judge Brailsford ordered eac h of them to pay £200 court costs.Six were fined £200 and Robinson was fined £120.Wall and Cornmell were also made the subject of six month conditional discharges.

The court heard how the defendants”locked on” during the early morning of July last year spreading themselves out across the entrance to the Cuadrilla site so that not traffic could enter or exit.

The protesters locked out using tubes of concrete and at one stage used a sofa.The defence argued that the Crown had not proved the protesters were actually on the highway and argued that the protest had been reasonable.

Giving judgement Judge Brailsford said:”Having seen the footage I am wholly satisfied the defendants were on the highway and were in a very dangerous place.”

“There was also a considerable amount of planning to the whole incident.”

“The defendants were given ample opportunity to end their lock on but refused to do so.”