Police acting as ‘private security’ for Drax power station, say climate activists

Greenpeace among 150 groups expressing outrage after preemptive arrests led to cancellation of protest camp

Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth have accused police of acting as private security" for the UK's biggest carbon emitter after dozens of preemptive arrests forced the cancellation of a climate protest camp near Drax power station.

In a statement signed by almost 150 groups, they called the operation against activists who had spent months planning the camp near the wood-burning power station an unreasonable restriction of free speech".