Oil protest pair 'sprayed ancient stones orange'

TWO Just Stop Oil supporters sprayed the prehistoric Stonehenge stones with orange powder as part of an environmental protest, a court was told.

- ROD MINCHIN News Reporter

Stonehenge

Rajan Naidu, 74, of Gosford Street, Birmingham, and Oxford University student Niamh Lynch, 22, of Norfolk Road, Turvey, Bedford, are accused of using two fire extinguishers filled with cornflour, talc and an orange dye to spray the monument.

Salisbury Crown Court was told the pair - together with a third supporter, Luke Watson, 36, of The Street, Manuden, Essex, - targeted Stonehenge as part of an ongoing fossil fuel protest.

The three defendants each deny charges of damaging an ancient protected monument and causing a public nuisance.

Simon Jones, prosecuting, told the jury: “This case concerns the actions of three Just Stop Oil protesters at Stonehenge on June 19 last year.

“Stonehenge is arguably the best recognised and architecturally sophisticated prehistoric stone circle in the world, built around 5,000 years ago.

“The stones are a protected ancient monument.”