Speak campaigner charged with arson

9:30am Friday 14th December 2007

An animal rights campaigner is due in court today charged with waging an arson campaign against Oxford University.

Mel Broughton, 47, of protest group Speak, will appear at Banbury Magistrates' Court accused of conspiracy to blackmail, two counts of possessing an explosive substance and two counts of having an article with intent to damage.

The charges against Broughton, of Semilong Road in Northampton, relate to arson attacks at Queens College between November 17 and 19 last year and Templeton College between February 16 and 25 this year.