Police end probe of 67 protesters

More than half the 114 people arrested in Nottingham over a suspected demonstration at a power station will not face charges, police have said.

The group were arrested at the Iona School on suspicion of conspiracy to commit aggravated trespass and criminal damage on 13 April.

Sixty-seven will not face any charges and the remaining 47 remain on police bail while inquiries continue.

The alleged target of the protest was the Ratcliffe-on-Soar power station.

The 67 suspects were informed by letter last week that they were no longer under investigation, Nottinghamshire Police confirmed.

More than 200 police officers from Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Staffordshire and British Transport Police were involved in the original arrests.

Police would not revealed why the 67 were released but said they remain convinced a protest was going to take place which would have posed a risk to the public.

Supt Mike Manley from Nottinghamshire Police said: "We believed this was not going to be a legitimate protest.

"We feel this was going to be an unlawful action they were arrested on conspiracy to commit criminal damage and aggravated trespass and that's what we still believe was going to take place on that day."

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