Yesterday (Sunday 4 July) the Trident warhead convoy was stopped for 45 mins near Horsley, Northumberland despite a large police presence.

The local police had scoured the route with a police helicopter (the night before!), then devoted just about every officer from Hexham to watch the whole of the Northumberland section with patrol cars and followed the convoy with 2 vans. Having seen the last 3 convoys delayed in North East England, they probably thought they were prepared.

So when the 15 protesters climbed and locked all over the 3 warhead carriers there were a lot of angry men in uniforms. The motorcycle outriders lost their rag by flattening and twisting various protesters into various involuntary Yoga positions. All the scuttling about frustrated the Police so much so they arrested people for waving from the verge! The convoy fireman were scared stiff of getting the demonstrator from on top of the carrier, so it was left to the very foolhardy police Inspector to drag him down a ladder. After the 7 people arrested had been taken away, the reserve fire brigade belatedly turned up to lift the man off the top!

All 7 have been charged with "Obstruction of public highway" and will be pleading at Hexham magistrates on Tue 13 July.

So what was learnt:

1. Regular actions increase the cost and the hassle of the convoy (part of the reason Cruise missiles were scrapped in the 80s).
2. Convoy lorries are easy to get on top off.
3. They are scared of people getting on top of the carrier (imagine 2 people D-locked together on top).
4. The local media can get board of convoy actions and some are frightened about saying what's in the lorries.
5. Pretending an action is going to happen could also delay the thing.

Home Page