THE HONOURABLE MR JUSTICE NICKLIN Approved Judgment
MBR Acres Ltd -v- Free the MBR Beagles
(e) Are there any particular activities of the protestors that are currently causing concern to the police and in respect of which the police feel that their powers are insufficient or inadequate?” 44. In response to that Order, Superintendent Robin Sissons has provided a witness statement, dated 10 June 2022. He described himself as the “ standing gold commander for the police response to police activities taking place at MBR Acres Ltd, Wyton; Labcorp, Wooley Road, Alconbury and other associated locations across Cambridgeshire ”. He was responsible for overseeing the strategic policing response to the protest activities. I should record the Court’s thanks to Superintendent Sissons for providing his witness statement. 45. By way of introduction, Superintendent Sissons stated: “5. MBR (Marshall Bio Resources) Acres, B1090 Wyton is a long-established facility where animals are bred for research purposes, which is a lawful activity. There has been continuous protest activity outside the business premises for a twelve-month period and there is no indication that this will cease in the foreseeable future. A semi-permanent protest camp has been erected along the roadside, with a communal tented kitchen, rented port-a-loo’s and a number of mobile home vehicles that the protesters sleep in. 6. The protestors tend to protest towards staff arriving and leaving the site at shift changeover times. They hold up animal liberation signs and shout at the staff. At the MBR encampment, the protestor numbers can vary from a handful up to 200 on declared ‘Days of Action’ and consists of a wide variety of people ranging from those who live locally to others that have travelled a great distance and camp; young, old and all different backgrounds of society are represented. The main stated purpose of the protesters is to ensure no animals leave the site and to continue to protest until the business is closed. More recently protest activity has focused on social media pressure focusing on workers and more direct action at the MBR’s supply chain and subcontracted companies that are involved in the animal movement. 7. My gold strategy covers the requirements needed to provide a co-ordinated and consistent response that meets our core policing responsibilities (Protecting life, property and preventing injury; Maintaining the Queen’s Peace; Preventing crime; Bringing offenders to justice) so that we keep our communities safe and maintain public confidence. 8. It is the intention of Cambridgeshire Constabulary to work with partners to deliver our core policing responsibilities by ensuring a proportionate and risk-based policing response in line with the Code of Ethics and the force vision and values. We will engage with protestors and staff at MBR Ltd to reach a balanced position whereby protest activity occurs in such a way that it is peaceful whilst ensuring the rights of those engaged in a lawful business are not infringed.” 46. As requested, the officer has provided a table – set out in the Appendix to this judgment – providing crime data relating to the protests at the Wyton Site, in the period from 1 April 2021. Overall, 23 people had been arrested, 21 had been charged, 4 people had
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