Fracking company files injunction to stop 'lock-on' protests outside Preston New Road site

Cuadrilla, the energy company behind the fracking site in Little Plumpton, have applied to the High Court to extend an injuction preventing trespassers on the land on Preston New Road.

The have also asked the Court to consider an additional request to ban blocks to the entrance at the site.

The energy company has filed the papers alongside local farmers, to prohibit 'unlawful obstruction' of the site entrance and Preston New Road.

It would include 'lock ons' (chaining people to objects or other people to deliberately prevent access) and climbing onto, or slow walking in front of, vehicles accessing or leaving the site.

Francis Egan, CEO of Cuadrilla, said:

"Whilst we fully respect the right to peaceful and legal protest, unfortunately over the last 18 months we have seen an extraordinarily high level of unlawful protest activity. This has been directed at and impacted not just our workers but also our suppliers and other law abiding citizens using the main road passing our site for their normal daily activities. Such unlawful conduct cannot be permitted to continue, and we hope that if we can secure this injunction it will deter this unlawful behaviour which is reckless and continues to cost local taxpayers millions of pounds."

Protesters from Frack Free Lancashire said:

"Frack Free Lancashire is wholly unsurprised that Cuadrilla need to resort to the desperate lengths of an injunction that assaults our basic human rights of meaningful protest, under sections 10 and 11 of the Human Rights Act 1998. The only surprise is that it's taken them so long to attempt to buy the law.

"When you have forced a dirty industry past all manner of democracy and the refusal of local communities, protest and dissent is expected.

"This industry and its inflictors are both toxic and unwanted. Protest will continue, regardless of the fracking industry trying to manipulate the law to benefit their own ailing operations."