Following concerns raised by protestor groups and local residents whose lives had been adversely affected by protests about shale gas exploration, I was pleased to be able to facilitate a meeting with representatives of these parties the Police and Crime Commissioner Julia Mulligan, and the Gold Commander Assistant Chief Constable Phil Cain. The meetings were robust but constructive and I hope will be that starting point for regular meetings to make sure that the relationship between police, local residents and protestors at Kirby Misperton is positive and effective.
Concerns were expressed at the meeting that the police had been too heavy handed in dealing with protestors and that they had failed to distinguish between the actions of peaceful, law-abiding protestors and those with more extreme views, many of whom had come from outside the area and who were intent on breaking the law. There were also concerns that some information was incorrectly disseminated from various sources, such as the report that a police dog had been allegedly poisoned by protestors. It was generally agreed that these meetings would provide an opportunity to correct misunderstandings before they took hold.
Although fracking at Kirby Misperton has been suspended until the Secretary of State makes a final decision, it is widely expected that to resume and that protests will continue. The decision to hold regular meetings will ensure that both sides have a better understanding of each other’s point of view which should help ease tensions.
North Yorkshire Police has agreed to review its local neighbourhood policing practices and to keep up a dialogue with protestors in the future. I want to make sure that peaceful protestors, local residents and the police can work together to isolate the illegal activities of some protestors and ensure that peaceful protests are seen and heard and that local people can go about their daily lives without fear of interruption or intimidation.