A Galloway environmental campaigner has been spoken to by police over a day of action planned for Newton Stewart.
Claire Taylor, pictured below, was questioned by an officer about a Galloway Against Mining gathering at the McMillan Hall next Saturday.
Ms Taylor will be among several GAM supporters handing out leaflets and cakes on August 6 while a Green Fayre is held inside.
GAM applied to have an information stall at the event which had been advertised as being open to “environmental groups”.
But organisers Newton Stewart Initiative turned down the request because they did not want the fayre to be “a platform for campaigning”.
Days later police paid a visit to Ms Taylor’s home.
Ms Taylor said: “I was surprised when a police officer came to my door.
“I told her there would be only a few folk outside the Green Fayre handing out info and cakes and chatting to anyone who wanted to know more details about potential mining.
“She asked me if the group had a leader – we don’t – and I didn’t give her any names of possible other attendees despite her gentle digging.
“I am a fairly resilient person but it is clear to me that someone has given the police my name and address which is what I find rather sinister.”
Ms Taylor added: “It seemed to me like a lot of police time was wasted since no crime had been, or will be, committed.
“Yet we are constantly being told that resources are stretched to the limit.”
According to Ms Taylor Galloway Against Mining aimed only to “peacefully inform people locally, nationally and internationally about an important environmental issue”.
The group is bidding to halt prospecting for gold, nickel and other valuable metals being carried out in the Galloway Hills by Australian mining giant Walkabout Resources.
Ms Taylor, from Garlieston, added: “This is what we have done from the moment the community became aware of the company’s exploration work early in 2022.
“As we are not organising a march there is no obligation to inform the police if we wish to gather outside the McMillan Hall during the Green Fayre on 6th August.
Chief Inspector Emma Dodds of Dumfries and Galloway Police Division said: “Officers were tasked locally to make contact with the organisers of the Galloway Against Mining group in order to establish their plans in relation to the planned Green Fayre in Newton Stewart.”
