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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
National
Callum Parke

Man arrested as eggs thrown at vehicles amid further disorder at RAF Scampton

PA Archive

A man has been arrested following further disorder outside an RAF base set to be used to accommodate migrants.

Lincolnshire Police said the 35-year-old was detained in connection with an incident at RAF Scampton on Monday, as well as further incidents on October 12 and 13.

It comes after “multiple reports of disorder” at the former airbase, which is set to become home to 2,000 migrants under Home Office plans.

Police said high-powered torches have been shone into the eyes of drivers on the adjacent A15 and into the faces of drivers accessing the site, with eggs thrown at vehicles and staff. One person also had an egg thrown at their head.

The force said: “These reports have been taken extremely seriously due to the risk a driver could be blinded by the high-powered light, leading to a potential collision either with other motorists on the busy 50mph A15 road, or pedestrians at the protest site.

Incidents reported to us which have required a larger policing presence are suspected to have involved a minority of protesters, many of whom are from outside of the county.
— Lincolnshire Police

“The egg-throwing is being treated as assault. All of these incidents have required a policing response from front-line officers.”

Police said that the 35-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of a public order offence of using threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour with intent to cause fear of, or provoke, unlawful violence, after reports that a man was shining a torch into the eyes of drivers.

He was also detained on suspicion of racially aggravated public order offence on October 12, and a public order offence on October 13.

He has since been bailed with conditions not to go within a 3.2-mile radius of the site.

The force continued: “We will continue to patrol the area and respond to incidents called in by concerned members of the public as they rightly expect us to do.

We would encourage everyone who wishes to voice their opinions through protest – which is a right we help uphold when done within the law – to do so peacefully.
— Lincolnshire Police

“Incidents reported to us which have required a larger policing presence are suspected to have involved a minority of protestors, many of whom are from outside of the county.

“We would encourage everyone who wishes to voice their opinions through protest – which is a right we help uphold when done within the law – to do so peacefully.

“We hope to see a reduction in the number of incidents so that our frontline police officers can respond to other urgent incidents across the county.”

The site has seen protests take place for a number of days, with several people arrested.

Two men are due to appear in court in November after being charged with a public order offence.

No date has yet been given for when migrants will arrive at the base, which was formerly home to the 617 Dambuster Squadron and the Red Arrows.

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