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Southend Airport runway protesters arrested | Southend Airport runway protesters arrested |
(about 4 hours later) | |
Fifteen climate change activists have been arrested at London Southend Airport. | |
Members of Plane Stupid and Climate Rush entered the airport at 09:00 BST and were apprehended by officers. | Members of Plane Stupid and Climate Rush entered the airport at 09:00 BST and were apprehended by officers. |
In a press release, the groups said they planned to put solar panels on the runway and do a dance routine dressed as pilots and cabin crew. | |
Police initially said 16 people were in custody, but at 15:00 BST confirmed five men and 10 women were detained. | |
The airport wants to extend its runway by 300m (984ft) to allow larger passenger aircraft to be used. | The airport wants to extend its runway by 300m (984ft) to allow larger passenger aircraft to be used. |
'Solar power' | |
The Stobart Group, which owns the airport, aims to have two million passengers a year passing through its terminal, by 2020. | |
In a statement before the arrests, a spokeswoman for the protesters said: "Southend Council say the expansion will bring jobs. | |
"But investment in renewable energy would create many more jobs without damaging the climate. | "But investment in renewable energy would create many more jobs without damaging the climate. |
"What we need is solar power, not plane power. | "What we need is solar power, not plane power. |
"The bigger runway is bad for climate change, bad for local residents under the flight path and is not needed to help the local economy." | "The bigger runway is bad for climate change, bad for local residents under the flight path and is not needed to help the local economy." |
Using Twitter, Plane Stupid said members had invaded the runway at 09:00 BST and remained there "for at least an hour". | |
Essex Police said officers responded quickly to reports of protesters gaining access to Southend Airport shortly after the protesters broke in. | |
Flights 'unaffected' | |
All 15 suspects are being held on suspicion of entering a restricted zone at an airport and aggravated trespass. | |
A 20-year-old man and a 19 year-old woman from Norwich and a 43 year-old man from Whitstable in Kent are among those arrested. | |
The remainder are from various parts of London. | |
Det Ch Insp Stuart Hooper said: "We were on heightened general alert to airports and our response to the protest was very swift. | |
"We have a number of well-rehearsed contingency plans for events such as this and we have launched a criminal investigation following the incident at Southend." | |
An airport spokeswoman confirmed the runway had been closed for a "short period" while police dealt wth the situation. | |
"No flights were impacted by this event," she said. |