Today, Peel Holdings under the name of two of its companies – Manchester Ship Canal Developments Ltd and Peel Investments (North) Ltd – began proceedings at Manchester's Civil Justice Centre to get a `possession order' to evict anti-fracking campaigners at the Barton Moss Community Protection Camp from land that it owns on Barton Moss Road – a private road with a public footpath running through it.
At the High Court, barristers for both Peel and the named defendants have put their cases regarding land ownership, tent and caravan positions, public rights of way and the Human Rights Act. The hearing will continue tomorrow, although a final judgement might not even be announced until next week.
Meanwhile, this morning, as the court proceedings were taking shape, around one hundred anti-fracking campaigners helped to delay a convoy of seven lorries delivering to the IGas exploratory drilling site on Barton Moss Road.
The lorries were delayed further when two protectors with white painted faces locked-on to a huge black coffin complete with a wreath of red flowers and a sign reading `Frack will seriously damage your health'.
As the Greater Manchester Protester Removal Team attempted to release the campaigners, an accordion player accompanied their efforts with strains of the Funeral March…
After around two hours, when the road was cleared and the two lock-on campaigners arrested, there were further delays as people slow marched the lorries again, despite GMP Tactical Aid Unit officers trying to aggressively push and shove people to the side of the road.
The High Court case and the daily protests at Barton Moss Road will continue tomorrow…
* Loads more Salford Star photos from today and other Barton Moss days plus an array of protests at https://salfordstar.jux.com/#2584780 - or click here