Nine arrests at protest near Staffordshire drone factory
Protesters set up outside factory near Lichfield
Police have arrested nine people on suspicion of criminal offences following a protest outside a drone factory near Lichfield.
Protesters have blocked the road leading to UAV Engines Limited in Lynn Lane in Shenstone on Monday 21.
A number of people were seen lying down in the road, letting off red flares and recording footage for social media networks.
Staffordshire Police stated: “We have arrested nine people on suspicion of criminal offences following protest activity in Shenstone this morning. Officers, including our protest removal team, went to Lynn Lane following reports of a protest at 6.40am.
“We worked to balance the rights of the protestors against the rights of those affected by it, which includes minimising the impact of disruption to local businesses, the community and the road network.”
The force stated that four people were arrested on suspicion of lock on to person/object/land to cause serious disruption, including a 57-year-old man, from the Stroud area, a 73-year-old man, a 39-year-old woman, of no fixed address, a 77-year-old man, from the Bolton area.
A 55-year-old man, of no fixed address, was arrested on suspicion of wilful obstruction on a highway. Four others were arrested on suspicion of both offences, including a 74-year-old woman, from Powys, a 63-year-old woman, from Radstock , a 30-year-old woman, from Basildon and a 24-year-old woman, from London.
The force said the protest had ended and its inquiries were continuing.
UAV Engines is a subsidiary of Elbit Systems UK a military defence technology and aerospace company that supplies equipment, training systems, and uncrewed aerial vehicles to the British Armed Forces.