Greenpeace activists who scaled Rishi Sunak's North Yorkshire home in protest against the government's decision to expand North Sea oil drilling have been released on police bail.
Four people were arrested after they climbed on the grade II-listed manor house in Kirby Sigston and draped oil-black fabric over the property while Mr Sunak and his family are on holiday.
A fifth activist was later arrested on suspicion of causing a public nuisance in connection with the stunt.
In an update this morning, North Yorkshire Police said: "All five suspects who were arrested following the protest in Kirby Sigston on 3 August, have been released on conditional police bail to allow for further enquiries to be carried out.
"The investigation remains ongoing."
The protest has led to fresh concerns around MPs' security, with a former police chief calling for an "investigation into how this has been allowed to happen".
Peter Walker, who stepped down as North Yorkshire Police's deputy chief constable in 2003, said he was "absolutely astonished" the protesters gained access to the prime minister's house.
He told LBC radio: "It is clearly in my view a major breach of security."
The protesters spent more than three hours on the roof of Mr Sunak's home on Thursday before descending at around midday.
Below, two activists unfurled a banner with the words "Rishi Sunak - Oil Profits or Our Future?" across the grass in front of the property.
Greenpeace was acting in protest against the prime minister's "backing for a major expansion of North Sea oil and gas drilling" - where it will grant 100 new licences off the coast of Scotland.
The group said the move will be a "disaster" for the environment and hinder efforts to reach net zero - a crucial climate target which relies on cutting down greenhouse gas emissions.
Protester Alex Wilson, who was on the roof, released a video message from the scene of the protest, saying: "We're all here because Rishi Sunak has opened the door to a new drilling frenzy in the North Sea while large parts of our world are literally on fire.
"This will be a disaster for the climate."
On the ground, Greenpeace campaigner Philip Evans defended the decision to target the PM's home, saying they had made sure Mr Sunak's family were on holiday.
He said the group had knocked on the door when they arrived and said "this is a peaceful protest" but there was no answer.
Mr Evans added: "Rishi Sunak's government has been the worst government we've had on climate."
Sunak is a 'climate arsonist', Greenpeace campaigner says
Greenpeace has said it is also carrying out its protest because Mr Sunak has indicated he will approve drilling at Rosebank - the UK's largest undeveloped oil field.
The group says the move "flies in the face of multiple warnings from the government's own climate advisers, the International Energy Agency and the UN secretary general that any new fossil fuel projects risk tipping the world into the danger zone above 1.5C of warming".
Mr Evans said: "We desperately need our prime minister to be a climate leader, not a climate arsonist.
"Sunak is even willing to peddle the old myth about new oil and gas helping ordinary people struggling with energy bills when he knows full well it's not true.
"More North Sea drilling will only benefit oil giants who stand to make even more billions from it, partly thanks to a giant loophole in Sunak's own windfall tax."
'Plonkers'
But Labour, who oppose the oil and gas license expansion, said "targeting someone's home in that way is disgraceful and unacceptable".
Meanwhile Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden, who is standing in for Mr Sunak during his holiday, said more oil and gas is needed as part of our "energy mix" as he hit out the "stupid stunt".
Speaking about the protest while on a visit to Able Seaton Port in Hartlepool he said: "I think what most people would say is 'can you stop the stupid stunts', actually what they want to see from government is action.
"That's what you're seeing here today, the world's largest offshore wind farm being built right here, creating jobs.
"But at the same time we're going to need in the coming decades oil and gas as part of our energy mix.
"The question is do we produce it here, where we get more tax, we create more jobs, or do we do what the Labour and others say which is say 'no more investment in our North Sea oil and gas'?"
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Alicia Kearns, the senior Tory who chairs the Commons foreign affairs committee, called the protest "unacceptable".
She said: "Politicians live in the public eye and rightly receive intense scrutiny, but their family homes should not be under assault.
"Before long police will need to be stationed outside the home of every MP."
Government minister Alex Burghart called the activists "plonkers".
Conservative backbencher Brendan Clarke-Smith said: "MPs and their families have enough to worry about with their security without extremist groups and their spoilt activists pulling stunts like this at their homes to promote their unrealistic, extravagant demands and student union-level politics."
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2023-08-04 07:18:45Z
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