Brighton MP criticises police for sharing anti-fracking protesters’ details with Cuadrilla

Brighton Pavilion MP Caroline Lucas has criticised Sussex Police for sharing anti-fracking campaigners’ details with Cuadrilla, the company that prompted the protests.

She also expressed concern about the force’s use of covert methods of gleaning intelligence, which may mean undercover officers infiltrating the protests or electronic eavesdropping.

The Green MP called the police approach excessive and intrusive and costly at a time when police resources were scarce.

Dr Lucas said that she was writing to Chief Constable Giles York who gave evidence at her trial at Brighton Magistrates’ Court after she was arrested during the protests.

She was acquitted of breaching public order in the Sussex village of Balcombe and said that the court had upheld the right to peaceful protest.

She also said that the information about the force’s tactics came to light because the police had handled it in a “cack-handed” way.

She said that it showed a certain level of incompetence and made her wonder how careful the force was in other ways.

Dr Lucas urged the police to think again about their tactics when dealing with similar protests.

Sussex Police said that it had a duty to assess risks and keep people safe.