Nineteen charged over protest at Staffordshire 'drone' factory
Nineteen anti-war campaigners who were arrested after descending on a factory in Shenstone in July which they claimed makes parts for drones used in the Middle East have been charged and summoned to appear before magistrates later this month.
Those arrested on July 6 were issued with a postal requisition and will appear before magistrates in Burton on Friday 28 August. All 19 are charged with harassment - breach of civil injunction.
Two of the 19 are additionally charged with assault. They are Sarah Wilkinson, aged 52, of Market Square, Bishops Castle, Shropshire, and Tariq Emam, aged 24, of Park Grove, York.
Mirfat Sulaiman, aged 43, of Peasefield Close, Birmingham
Matt Mellen, aged 35, of Providence Place, Bruton, Somerset
Timothy Evans, aged 35, of Egypt Road, Nottingham
John Snowdon, aged 45, of Curtis Road, Newcastle-upon-Tyne
James Casey, aged 28, of Hawarden Grove, London
Christopher Cole, aged 51, of Wilkins Road, Oxford
Simon Thorpe, aged 28, of Marlborough Grove, London
Alan Mitchell, aged 43, of Knighton Fields Road West, Leicester
Kathryn Hobbs, aged 27, of Lyneham Walk, London
Alister Coutts, aged 55, of Crown Street, Aberdeen
Colin McKean, aged 70, of Knowsley Road, Liverpool
Gregory Dropkin, aged 68, of Sheil Road, Liverpool
Daniel Ashman, aged 31, of Old Church Street, Leicester
Nicholas Counsell, aged 61, of Clifton Road, Eccles, Greater Manchester
Ian Murray, aged 60, of Endwood Court Road, Birmingham
The 18 men and one woman, were arrested for breaching a high court injunction barring them from demonstrating within 250 metres of UAV Engines in the Staffordshire village near Lichfield.
More than 100 lobbyists had descended on the area aiming to 'shut down' the factory for the day in a bid to disrupt their operations and cause the subsidiary of Israeli company Elbit thousands of pounds in lost trade.
They claim that the drones manufactured by UAV Engines have been involved in the killings of thousands of Palestinians.
Ahead of the protest the company secured a high court injunction prohibiting demonstrations within a 250 metre radius of the factory.
Staffordshire Police also issued their own order which identified a designated protest area near Shenstone Railway Station.
More than 30 officers have been present at the scene since 7am this morning and campaigners have been forcibly moved back about 50ft from the entrance to UAV Engines on Lynn Lane by a human police blockade.
