Essex police make 15 more arrests over fuel protests in Thurrock but say all sites now clear

Police say that all fuel distribution sites in Essex are clear of protesters and operating freely for the first time this month.

Fifteen further arrests were made at a fuel site in Thurrock, on suspicion of aggravated trespass, bringing the total number to 373 since the demonstrations began on 1 April.

Activists from Just Stop Oil and Extinction Rebellion have been blocking access to oil terminals since the beginning of the month.

On Monday, they were at the Inter Oil Terminal in Grays in the Thurrock area of Essex.

The activists said they wanted the government to halt new oil and gas projects.

Police said there were now no active protests in Essex and all the sites that had been affected over the last 12 days were now reporting business as usual.

Essex Police Assistant Chief Constable Glen Pavelin said: "We of course remain vigilant, and we are using a variety of policing tactics as we continue to tackle these incidents of irresponsible and dangerous trespass.

"The people who are continuing to renew what they believe to be protest are in fact simply putting their own lives at risk as well as those of my officers and their emergency service colleagues.

"The reality is each time they are taking part in these acts, it is not protest. It is reckless and it is dangerous and we cannot simply stand by as people continue to put themselves in harm's way."

He also repeated the force's call for private companies to take more responsibility for their own security.

"However, these incidents cannot be prevented by policing alone," he said.

"The private companies which are being affected are prosperous industries that are large employers in the area and with prosperity also comes responsibility to protect one’s own private property."