G20 protesters to sue Met Police

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A group of G20 protesters are to sue the Metropolitan Police after all charges against them were dropped.

The 11 protesters were among thousands who took part in the demonstrations in London on 1 April 2009.

They were charged with impersonating police after driving a bright blue armoured car into the city.

The demonstrators, who go under the label the Space Hijackers, said the charges against them were "ridiculous" and a "waste of taxpayers' money".

The 11 were arrested after jumping out of the customised Alvis Saracen, complete with gun turret and the word "riot" emblazoned on it, outside the Bishopsgate offices of the Royal Bank of Scotland.

They were also wearing riot police-style helmets and overalls.

'Laughing cavaliers'

The case against them was dropped after four hearings after the Crown Prosecution Service said it had received new information and prosecutors no longer believed there was a realistic chance of a conviction.

In a statement the group called themselves the "laughing cavaliers of capitalism" and said the case was one of the "most bizarre prosecutions mounted in a British court in recent years."

They said: "We always refuted these ridiculous claims on the part of the police and the CPS and invited people to look over the past 10 years of our work, which the police were well aware of, to see that we have a long history of parody, dressing up and winding up the powers that be."

This was always a ridiculous case and the CPS' time and effort could have been better spent looking at bringing prosecutions for potential police misconduct Raj ChadaSolicitor

The group said they were seeking compensation as well as the return of their vehicle and other equipment.

London chief crown prosecutor Alison Saunders said additional evidence, combined with the fact that the individuals were part of a theatre group and that members of the public had thought it was a stunt were among the factors that had led to the case being dropped.

The group's solicitor, Raj Chada, said: "This was always a ridiculous case and the CPS' time and effort could have been better spent looking at bringing prosecutions for potential police misconduct."

Those facing trial were Jessica Barter, 19, of Newham; Leah Borromeo, 30, of Brockley; Mohammed Hayder, 25, and Suzan Keen, 41, of Hackney; Paul Hardcastle, 23, and Stephen Jewkes, 29, of East Dulwich; David Parkhouse, 23, of Homerton, Robin Priestley, 32, of Aldgate; Stephen Gibbens, 21, of Milton Keynes; David Vannen, 38, of Abbots Langley, Hertfordshire and Rebecca Walpole, 21, of Seaforth Road, Aberdeen.