Police swoop on flower farm near to the G7 summit in Cornwall and arrest 15 people
Police swoop on flower farm near to the G7 summit in Cornwall and arrest 15 people before seizing spray paint, scaffolding and gas horns amid clampdown on protest groups
- Officers acting on a tip off searched Clowance Wood Nurseries at the weekend
- Fifteen people were arrested and taken into custody on suspicion of conspiracy to commit public nuisance, Devon and Cornwall Police said
- The arrests came as world leaders convened in Cornwall for the G7 summit
- A heavy police presence monitored protesters throughout the three-day event
Police have arrested 15 people after a raid on a flower farm near to the G7 summit and seized spray paint, gas horns amid a clampdown on protest groups.
Officers acting on a tip off made the arrests after a search at Clowance Wood Nurseries in the tiny village of Praze-an-Beeble – about 10 miles from where the summit was taking place in Carbis Bay.
Police say they seized items including spray paint, scaffolding and gas horns.
The 15 people were arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit public nuisance and were taken into custody for questioning, said a spokesman for Devon and Cornwall Police.
The flower nursery is empty. The business was sold by its owners in 2017 and the glass greenhouses and land have not been used for sometime.
Those arrested were understood to have been camping on the site.
The arrests bring the total number of people held during the weekend to 22.
Seven people who were arrested on Friday over suspicion of causing a public nuisance have since been freed.
They were arrested after a stop and search operation on a van and smoke grenades and paint found inside.
A Devon and Cornwall Police spokesperson said the latest arrests were made on Saturday afternoon.
Police have arrested 15 people after a raid on a flower farm (pictured) near to the G7 summit and seized spray paint, gas horns amid a clampdown on protest groups
Officers acting on a tip off made the arrests after a search at Clowance Wood Nurseries in the tiny village of Praze-an-Beeble – about 10 miles from where the summit was taking place in Carbis Bay. Pictured: World leaders pose for a photo at the summit
A force spokesperson said: ‘Fifteen people have been arrested following a search at Clowance Wood Nurseries in Praze during the afternoon of Saturday 12 June.
‘A warrant was carried out under section 8 of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act following information received by police.
‘Items including spray paint, scaffolding and gas horns were located and have been seized by police.
‘Fifteen people have been arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit public nuisance and will be taken into police custody for questioning.
‘Enquiries remain ongoing at this time.’
Teams of undercover police have been monitoring protest groups who converged on Cornwall for the three-day G7 conference.
More than 6,000 police officers from across the UK had been brought in to form a ring of steel around the delegates, and with so few arrests the policing operation will be viewed as a stunning success.
Police kept a low profile for the mass demonstrations held by Extinction Rebellion and Surfers Against Sewage over the weekend.
As more than 1,000 protestors gathered in Kimberley Park before walking through Falmouth town centre only three officers wearing blue vests that marked them out as liaison officers were visible.
Other officers who acted as ‘spotters’ and videoed the protestors stood discreetly by the side of the road.
Much of the police undercover work was directed towards members of the G7 resist group who had threatened to attempt to disrupt the conference.
Based in a farmer’s field in the village of Gweek – about 25 miles from Carbis Bay- police were able to monitor all vehicles going in and out of the field and note down their number plates.
Police kept a low profile for the mass demonstrations held by Extinction Rebellion and Surfers Against Sewage over the weekend. Pictured: Extinction Rebellion demonstrators in Falmouth, Cornwall on Saturday
Protesters dressed as world leaders attend an Extinction Rebellion demonstration in Falmouth, Cornwall on Saturday
Undercover officers then carried out spot checks on those vehicles leading to the arrest of the seven people in a van on Friday.
Other vehicles that were seen in the vicinity of the camp site were also pulled over by police for spot checks.
While the world leaders are due to depart Cornwall on Sunday afternoon, police will remain on duty until the early hours of the morning.
Many have had to work 16-hour shifts, but officers from London and other cities have been surprised by the warm welcome they have received from locals.
One Met officer based in south London said: ‘People actually want to talk to me. That never happens where I am usually based. It has been a pleasant change.’
On Saturday night, members of the Ocean Rebellion Group projected protest slogans on to the cruise liner that has been home to 1,000 police in Falmouth Harbour.
The slogans included ‘as the sea dies we die’ and ‘cruises spread diseases.’
The Silka Europa cruise ship was brought in to provide temporary accommodation for police during the conference.
The final day of protests by Extinction Rebellion will include events in St Ives where a model of the logo of the G7 summit will sink beneath the sand.
The theme for the day of protests is ‘all hands on deck’ with the climate activists demanding power be placed in the hands of citizens to bring about change.
On Saturday night, members of the Ocean Rebellion Group projected protest slogans on to the cruise liner that has been home to 1,000 police in Falmouth Harbour. The slogans included ‘as the sea dies we die’ and ‘cruises spread diseases’
