I was there when the man was arrested at Radley Lakes for not giving his name. There were a few other local residents around at the time - mainly OAPs like myself, not a violent fanatic is sight. The man was peaceful and compliant, but was handcuffed and restrained by 5 policemen, with a 6th dog handler arriving as he was taken away. Npower have 12 contract security guards on site. Our peaceful and beautiful lake now has the feeling of a police state.
I cannot help contrasting this heavy presence with the near impossibility of getting a police response to incidents of vandalism in our village. When I dialled 999 because I was being attcked by a dozen motor bikers on the Thames path, it took 3 1/2 hours for the police to arrive.

The Chap who was injured, Ant, was thrown to the ground and sat on by at least four thuggish blokes faces hidden by balaclava helmets wearing yellow jackets with the name "Shercurity" on them. The object of their attentions, was pinned to the ground for nearly twenty five minutes before being allowed to sit up and it was nearly an hour before the Police came and he was taken away. Now he is in hospital in the trauma unit and questions are raised as to the nature of his injury. Was it the Security Guards or the Police who broke his arm? You don't break your own arm. Someone has to apply inordinate force.
All the Guy did was try to talk to the Tree Fellers - not attack them and now he's in hospital. NPower have tried to make out that there are hordes of Animal Rights Fanatics down at Radley Lakes and this is why they need to adopt the tactics they have. The truth is they don't want people seeing their heinous activities of cutting down woodland and depriving birds of their nesting places. Not good for their image. Furthermore when is the Abingdon Herald going to stop this stupid arrangement with nPower to give money to the local community when NPower are taking away a beautiful amenity from thousands of people in Abingdon and Radley
NPower are big bullies. They use their money to squash legal protest and try to tell us it is in the interest of a secure electric supply and that horrid phrase "24/7" which is meaningless in NPower's case because they don't produce electricity every minute every day. They provide a base load but they intend to get the most out of their power station soon because they aren't upgrading the station and it has to close unless they do. In the interim they will generate as much as they possibly can, generate even more ash for disposal, take their profits and like Thames Water - who they owned - leave the problem for someone else to deal with!

Miss Chiff, unfortunatly many security guards have to wear balaclava's and suchlike as there are people out there quite willing and able to do personal injury to them, just look at Speak and ALF. If your peacefully protesting, and i dont mean going up to people who are trying to carry out there normal work then you will be ok, if 'Ant' went in and tried to hold up the workers then he deserved to get removed, not a borken arm i agree if thats how he sustained it. Npower have the law on there side, dont wind people up, dont go onto there property, dont even try to talk to a security guard, just protest peacefully. We all have to obey the law.

I see the Oxford Mail has removed the other Radley Lakes thread – I wonder why. However, this was an interesting comment from ‘Gemini’, about ‘The Ant’, which I am happy to post again.

Posted by: Gemini, Abingdon on 11:32am today
How do you break your own arm? The Police have released no information on being asked, and when a friend when to visit Ant in hospital they were told by the Policemen guarding him that they couldn't visit. Wonder Why? The treatment he has received for running on to NPower's land is completely disproportionate.
As for harrassing the security guards, from the minute they arrived, they have been confrontational, with blacked out numberplates and balaclava clad faces so any attempt to know who they are are was impossible from the start. NPower are lying when they say the people named in the injunction have harrassed their staff, when, in fact, it is the other way round. The plan by NPower was to prevent people photographing the destruction taking place because it is bad for their Corporate Caring Image.

A policeman is guarding 'The Ant' in hospital? He is a peaceful environmental campaigner, not a murderer! RWE npower and the police are acting in a disgraceful way, they should be ashamed of themselves.

Alan – the comparison with the ALF is not appropriate. No-one at Save Radley Lakes is behaving in anything other than a perfectly peaceful way. Maybe one day you would like to protest about something – would you like to be threatened by masked thugs?

Why has the previous thread on this issue been removed? Is the Oxford Mail frightened to upset NPower over the right to free speech. Any answers?

Update, the other Radley Lakes story has re-appeared, but with previous comments removed, and no opportunity to comment further. A question for the editor of the Oxford Mail – why have you removed all the previous comments from the ‘Liberties battle looms at lakes’ story? Have you too been served an injunction?

I have been concerned over what is happening down at Radley Lakes for sometime. I went down there myself on Sunday to see what was happening and I happened to bump into The Ant. This man struck me as polite, articulate and passionate about his cause, and made me realise if we had more people like this in our community, maybe we wouldn’t live in a society that only judges itself by how much money it makes. To then see the story that RWE npower have started removing the vegetation from the islands in Thrupp Lake was a disgrace. There is an on going legal battle to make the area a town green which would prevent any further work taking place at Lakes and preserve them for the local community, but RWE npower have proceeded anyway, knowing full well that any fines they may receive for doing so, should the legal bid for town green status be upheld, would be a pittance to them. There are documented sightings of schedule 1 birds at the lakes, along with other protected species such as Otter and Water Voles, but since the ecological surveys (paid for by NPower) did not note these species (strange that!) they have continued the destruction of this valuable local habitat. There have also been a number of nights where gunshot-type sounds have been heard around the lake designed to scare off any animals and birds. NPower argue that once they have dumped all of the Ash into these lakes they will create new habitat for wildlife. Fair enough some wildlife will return (it always does), but not the current delicate ecosystem at the Lakes. Also the amount of pollutants in the ash such as heavy metals will affect the area for an indefinable amount of time afterwards, and as these proceed along the food chain, could result in a complete lack of all but the most tolerate of species. I, for one, would love to see NPower stop work at this beautiful site, but we all know this won’t happen, and if anything, work will increase over the next few weeks so all of the vegetation is removed before the breeding bird season arrives in late March. I am also dismayed by what appears to be a complete lack of interest shown by the local town council and elected officials. Maybe these people should start to act on behalf of the people that put them in that position. How anyone in Abingdon/Radley can still be an RWE npower customer for their energy is unbelievable in this age of competitive energy companies. Next time a pushy RWE sales rep comes to my door (which seems to happen fairly regularly) they will definitely be made to feel most unwelcome.

I also noticed the removal of the article and its reappearance without the comments and without the ability to comment again. I'm not entirely sure why this has happened but I can probably guess. I'm very disappeared that the Oxford Mail doesn't see it fitting to support a local organisation like Save Radley Lakes. I've been more and more shocked by what I have been reading and its disgusting. N power seem to be to be a company who do not care what others want or think and have complete disregard for freedom of speech and protest. Save the Radley Lake group are nothing like ALF and are not extremist in any way. I would suggest that the Oxford Mail supports people being able to speak freely about how they feel and put back up the thread. People have a right to express the anger they feel at what is happening. No one has made any threats or said anything offensive so why take it away?

This is well worth a look –
http://video.google.co.uk/videoplay?docid=7281750910925964224
We are getting closer to a police state every day.

Yes, it would be nice to know why mine and other people's comments were removed from the other article. If nPower has been leaning on the Oxford Mail, then I think we should be told!

As for me, I'm going on a walk tomorrow along the public highways and byways of Radley.

I think NPower have got their fuzzy headed lawyer who was down at the site handing out like confetti injunctions to all and sundry to threaten the Oxford Mail, who are NPower's puppets with their Community Campaign. Either that, or the comment by Leon Flexman which said it was OK to Protest Peacefully was a step too far for the Gestapo Gruppenfuhrer Raindownlikehellonprotesters.

Thank you for that Tarbatt it was very interesting and shocking. Surely they shouldn't have been granted an injunction like that? They are also trying to control the press and publicity, what has happened to the free world? Has anyone started a petition on the 10 Downing Street website? What can people do to help?

I wonder how long this thread will survive? I’d give it until the Mail’s solicitor gets back from the pub.

I was at Radley Lakes yesterday (Thursday) sitting in front of the camp opposite the gates of Sandles, when two lawyers attempted to serve an injunction on me. I refused to accept it, saying I was a private citizen on a public right of way. Later, I witnessed a protester being arrested and handcuffed by police for refusing to give his name and address. Npower is using bully boy tactics to enforce their will. They will not let us take photos, but the security guards filmed us constantly, including children, without the permission of their parents. I am shocked and appalled. This is no longer a proud country of freedom whose liberties have been fought for over hundreds of years. It is a sad and shameful country ruled by the corporate greed of powerful multinationals.

Just curious please enlighten me if wrong. NPpowers parent company is German. Now a high percentage fly ash from German power statations is made into breeze blocks for the construction industry. Clever chaps these Germans cos it creates jobs. Over here the percentage of recycling this stuff is zilch by comparison. A plant at Didcot to make blocks would be logical and create jobs and save block miles importing the breeze blocks from Germany. Maybe some publicity about whats going on should be forwarded to the ''green'' press in Germany. The greens over there have a lot more clout than what we have. C,mon someone e-mail the campaign to the German media.

But the problem is that the more they use these bully tactics and mad injunctions the more people who will join Save Radley Lakes they are making a rod for there own back. I plan to email everyone I know to make them aware of what is going on, and I suggest everyone else does the same. Also it would be good if someone would start up a petition on 10 Downing Street so we can get everyone signing it. Lastly, I do hope no one has put pressure on the Oxford Mail to withdraw comments, as a newspaper they should make sure people heard and the truth is told

I'm afraid we are now living in a POLICE STATE which has been orchestrated with stealth by our present MARXIST government. Wake up all of you and open your eyes. What do they care about our beautiful country? What do the Germans care about our beautiful country? They tried to conquer it once - now we've just let them walk in and take it. Funny thing history isn't it !!

Just to let everyone know you can now comment on the most recent article. However, the past comments aren't back.

Whoa Thelma. I know it is getting big brother but the Germans are not to blame even if its one of their big corporates behind this, but, do they know what is happening? Please good folks let is keep it clean. The German Green Party have a lot of clout. I have just emiled them and also given them the Radley Lakes website with the ok from a prominent Radley Lakes campaign official. Lets hope that our good eco friends in Germany catch on and give RWE some grief. We are meant to be as one not left v right in this campaign. I know NPower bullyboys are strutting their stuff but we can be stronger if we do not start in fighting that is what they want, but, I do respect your comment,alas, one of mine was censored off the earlier thread as I was a bit ott, but...hey ho!

The CPRE and Save Radley Lakes are organising a peaceful visit, on foot, to Radley Lakes on Sat 17feb Starting at 1.00pm from the Bowyers Arms in Radley. Do come and show support. The walk will be peaceful and has the approval of the Police.

I know what you're saying John but I find myself getting very cross when things like this arise. We are meant to be a democratic country and yet WE ALL know the truth ! Before long our once GREEN AND PLEASANT LAND will be bulldozed and concreted over! A very unpleasant thought but a FACT ! We need to take action NOW !

Gemini, thanks very much for the info about the walk.

See you there!

John – I’m pleased someone has contacted the Green Party in Germany. Yesterday my friend contacted two German newspapers about the SRL campaign, I’ll find out tonight if they replied.

Another angle is our own Oxfordshire Green Party – I just did a search on their web site for Radley, I got ‘Search Keyword Radley returned 0 matches.’ Which isn’t much use really, I think I will mail them and ask them why they are doing nothing.

Thanks for the video link, Tarbatt. I didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

re: Green Party. why not contact Caroline Lucas, she is our Green MEP for the South East, which includes Oxfordshire. She has a good rep for campaigning and must know all the German Greens personally!

drop her a line at:

carolinelucas@greenmeps.org.uk

or

clucas@europarl.eu.int

or phone

++44 (0)20 7407 6281
Tel: ++32 (0)2 2845153

why does'nt someone set up an independent website so we can speak without being censored.? iwould but have'nt got the knowhow.

Hello,
This is an Oxford Independent Media Website, where comments on Thrupp Lake can be added without censorship:
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/regions/oxford/