Arrests Made At Crawberry Hill
It's as an operation by East Riding Council to dismantle the anti-fracking site at Walkington got underway today.
Police have made a number of arrests at the Crawberry Hill anti-fracking protest camp in Walkington today.
It's as an operation has started to move the camp as a legal deadline for demonstrators to leave expired earlier this month.
The protestors set up camp there last May following concerns that Rathlin Energy, who own the land, could use it for fracking - something the company has always denied.
A Police spokesperson told Viking FM:
"Humberside Police have made a number of arrests this morning during an operation by the East Riding of Yorkshire Council to evict those encamped at Crawberry Hill, Heads Lane, Walkington.
The East Riding of Yorkshire Council issued eviction notices to the site on 2 December. To date, the terms of the notices have not been met which has resulted in the council and its contractor, UK Eviction Partnership, today (Tuesday, 20 January) undertaking an operation to remove any fencing, timber buildings, caravans and tents from the highway verges to ensure the safety of motorists, the travelling public and the protesters.
Officers from Humberside Police are deployed at the site to prevent a breach of the peace and to police road blocks that are in place to allow a safe working environment for an Eviction Team employed by East Riding of Yorkshire Council.
Road closures remain in place on Walkington Heads from the junction of Burton Gates and from the junction of Wold Road. The road closure applies to both vehicular and pedestrian access to a section of Walkington Heads."
East Riding of Yorkshire Council say they don't want to obstruct or deny the protestor's right to protest and say they have offered them an area of highway verge instead where they can carry on their demonstration.
A council spokesperson said:
"To be clear, the council does not seek to obstruct or deny the protesters’ democratic right to protest and in previous meetings has offered to provide an area of highway verge upon which they may carry on their protest, in person only without any structures being erected, and this offer remains."