Anti-fracking protesters glued themselves to pumps at wrong gas station

Anti-fracking protesters who glued and chained themselves to gas pumps near Bolton, Lancashire were at the wrong garage. Four people were arrested after anti-fracking protesters used glue and bike locks to attach themselves to fuel pumps at the petrol station in Great Lever.

Bolton against Fracking had organized a protest at their local Total garage after it was reported that the oil company were due to invest at least £12.7 million in the UK fracking industry. They were protesting against test drilling at Barton Moss, in Salford. However, it emerged later that the petrol station was no longer owned by Total - but the new owners had not got around to taking the signs down yet.

Petrol station manager Reezwan Patel said: “We had to close for six hours, so with the loss of custom and the damage to the pumps, it could be a couple of thousand pounds we have lost. The thing is, Total don’t own the station any more. It is owned by Certas Energy, but the signs haven’t changed yet. The protesters were very polite and actually apologized for what happened.”

Specialist police officers removed the protesters from the pumps. Three men, and a woman, were placed in police custody after the protest. A Greater Manchester Police spokesman said: "Two men were arrested for criminal damage, and a man and a woman were arrested for criminal damage and criminal trespass.”