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Leith Hill court order 'very frightening' for locals offering showers and drinks to anti-drilling campers

BBC Surrey has discovered an injunction to evict anti-drilling protestors from the Surrey Hills, also leaves local people at risk of court action if they go there to help them.

BBC Surrey has discovered an injunction to evict anti-drilling protestors from the Surrey Hills, also leaves local people at risk of court action if they go there to help them.
Campaigners have been camped out at a test-drilling site near Coldharbour since October 2016.
Energy company Europa Oil and Gas has taken out a court order after some neighbours gave them food and drink and offered hot showers. It has declined to comment.
It won permission in 2015 to test-drill a site at Bury Hill Wood.

Mole Valley councillor Clayton Wellman said: "For a lot of local people just supporting that protest in some way, taking a bit of food, letting them come and have a shower, this kind of thing has been their way to have a voice.
"In a sense this injunction is putting a gagging order on them because it says anyone who helps potentially could end up in jail or have their assets seized, which is very frightening for local people."

Some people in Coldharbour, who spoke to BBC Surrey, said the activists were still getting some support despite the court order.

"There is a level of concern about some of the implications but how they can be enforced I don't know".

"I think anyone who has been offering showers and all sorts of things that locally people have done to help
won't be in the slightest bit affected by that prospect."

"I think it is absolutely disgraceful. I'm sure certain people will completely ignore and pop along there, stop quickly, drop something off and carry on. If they do it, they're in contempt of court and it would be a very interesting court case if it came to court."

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