Police warn protests in Essex are 'exceptionally dangerous'
It's after more arrests had to be made at the weekend
Essex Police has described action taken by campaigners over the weekend as 'exceptionally dangerous' with Just Stop Oil protests continuing in the county.
Police were called to reports of 20 protestors at the Exolum Storage in Grays on Sunday morning.
Assistant Chief Constable Glen Pavelin said: “We cannot stand by while criminal acts are being committed, and lives are being put at risk, in the name of protest.
“We are not anti-protest. Our job is to preserve life and catch criminals, and that’s what we’re going to do.
“Today’s protest is exceptionally dangerous due to where the protestors have located themselves within the site.
“Our officers have been diligent in ensuring that all protestors know the risks involved, and we’ve been working hard to minimise the dangers this morning.
“Put simply: we don’t want anyone to get hurt.
“We’ve been really clear with the protestors. Their acts of criminality on site are not only illegal, but they are continuing to put themselves and our officers at real risk of harm and that is unacceptable.
“These protests continue to impact the people of Essex and beyond.
“We’ve been lucky to have extra support from specialist officers from across the country, to support some of our officers continuing with their day jobs.
“We’re continuing to work closely with our partners, including Thurrock Council, the East of England Ambulance Service, and Essex County Fire and Rescue Service, and the local fuel companies.
“Your local officers in Essex remain committed to protecting and serving the people of our county and are continuing to catch criminals, protect the vulnerable, and bring people to justice.”
Since protests began on the 1st April over 340 arrests have been made on suspicion of various offences.