A GREENPEACE activist who was held in a Russian jail for his part in a campaign to board an oil rig, set up his latest environmental protest in Witney yesterday.

Father-of-three Phil Ball from Milton-under-Wychwood, who hit the national headlines in 2013, after being thrown into a Russian jail with the crew of the Greenpeace vessel Arctic Sunrise, led a protest against the “Big Six” UK energy companies outside David Cameron’s constituency office in Witney High Street.

Mr Ball, 44, and other campaigners set up a bed, which seven protesters climbed into, one wearing a David Cameron mask and six others sporting liveries of the energy firms.

The campaigners were fresh from a weekend camp near Didcot power station where protesters had been championing the need to move away from the use of fossil fuels in generating electricity.

Mr Ball said: “In this country the big six energy companies control 90 per cent of the energy market.

“There is an unhealthy relationship between David Cameron and them and they’ve got far too much bargaining power.

“These companies have a long-standing history of forcing people into fuel poverty while at the same time generating a massive profit.”

The Russian coast guard and armed commandos seized the Arctic Sunrise in September 2013, after some of its crew tried to abseil onto a Russian oil rig in Arctic waters.

Mr Ball was the last of the 30 crew members to be brought before a Russian court where he was granted bail after spending two months in jail.

He was initially charged with piracy and if convicted would have faced up to 15 years in prison.

Mr Ball, a photographer by trade, recently published a book about his experiences in Russia called Don’t Trust, Don’t Fear, Don’t Beg.

Natasha Whitmill local Conservative Party agent based at the office, confirmed staff had received a leaflet from protesters, which she said would be passed on to Prime Minister David Cameron.