Four charged over anti-fracking protests in North Yorkshire

A 23-year-old man, a 40-year-old woman, a 53-year-old man and a 54-year-old woman have been charged with obstructing a highway on Habton Road in the village of Kirby Misperton yesterday.

But other reasons given by the police for arrests, including one of the women being accused of "possessing a bladed article in a public place", have been dropped.

They will appear at York Magistrates Court next month.

Demonstrators have been involved with trying to prevent specialist equipment get onto a site run by firm Third Energy, which intends to start test work later this year on whether fracking will be commercially viable in the area.