ELEVEN people have been charged with a number of offences following a protest at a County Durham quarry.

Officers attended Field House Surface Mine, near West Rainton, near Durham, in the early hours of Monday morning (August 19) after around 30 demonstrators entered the site to protest against coal mining.

Throughout the day, police worked with those involved in the protest and the owners of the site to bring the situation to a peaceful conclusion.

Chief Inspector Sue Robinson, of from Durham Constabulary, said: “All protestors left the site yesterday afternoon. As well as the eleven who were arrested and charged, a number of protestors were also issued with dispersal orders preventing them from returning to County Durham for the next 48 hours.

“We will always uphold the right to peaceful protest, but we will not tolerate criminal activity that disrupts local communities and businesses.”

Those who were arrested and charged are:

• A 26-year-old man from Spain charged with criminal damage.

• A 20-year-old woman from Newcastle charged with aggravated trespass.

• A 32-year-old man from Cheshire charged with assault.

• A 23-year-old man from the Netherlands charged with aggravated trespass.

• A 34-year-old woman from Kingston upon Thames charged with assault.

• A 28-year-old woman from the Netherlands charged with criminal damage.

• A 24-year-old from Sevenoaks, Kent, charged with assault.

• A 31-year-old man from Austria charged with criminal damage.

• A 25-year-old man charged with failing to comply with a dispersal order.

• A 17-year-old girl from Germany charged with aggravated trespass.

They were all released on bail to appear at Newton Aycliffe Magistrates’ Court on September 19.

A 27-year-old man was also charged with two counts of assault. He was released on bail to appear before magistrates in Newton Aycliffe on September 18.