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Protester is guilty of obstructing train
A HEBDEN Bridge man, among 22 environmental protesters accused of ambushing a train carrying coal to Europe's largest power station, has been found guilty.
Paul Morozzo, 42, of Chiserley Gardens, Wads-worth, and the other environmental activists from across the UK, were convicted of obstructing the train for 16 hours after a trial at Leeds Crown Court yesterday.
The group was taking part in a non-violent protest against climate change and the pollution caused by the giant coal-fired Drax power station, near Selby, in June last year.
The trial, which ran for four days, heard how the train was stopped by two men posing as Network Rail staff, wearing orange jackets and hard hats, who held up a red flag. Moments later the train and a nearby bridge were scaled by the protesters wearing white paper boiler suits and carrying banners.
The protest caused delays to numerous freight and passenger services and the clean-up operation cost more than 30,000.
The defendants all denied charges of obstruction. None denied being on the train.
The judge requested pre-sentence reports but told the defendants: "None of you will be sent into custody."
The protesters said they were "very disappointed" with the guilty verdicts.
Louise Hemmerman, one of the protesters, said: "The judge declared from day one that climate change was irrelevant to the trial, despite the fact that it was the sole reason for doing what we did, and from that moment on, it was certain we'd be convicted."
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Saturday 11 February 2012
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