PROTESTERS fighting to save Radley Lakes have lost their High Court battle to overturn an injunction banning them from the site.

The group are fighting a campaign against the lakes' owner, RWE npower, which has planning permission to fill the lake with waste ash from nearby Didcot power station.

Today at the High Court, judge Mr Justice Teare, extended a temporary injunction banning protesters from picketing, setting up camp or taking photographs of workers at the site, which was imposed after npower complained about squatters.

However, the new order, as amended by the judge, will allow photography and filming around the lakes, which was previously banned, and limit the geographical scope of the restrictions.

The injunction will still ban protesters from entering the land, or setting up camps within a quarter of a mile of its boundaries.

The protesters' lawyer, Stephanie Harrison, argued unsuccessfully that there was no need for an injunction and that if one had to be imposed at all, it should be restricted to banning illegal activity, such as "assaulting, molesting, harassing or threatening" staff, obstructing staff and their vehicles, or publishing the identities of anyone working there.

Marjorie White, a spokesman for Save Radley Lakes, said: "Now we can get on with our aim to persuade npower to abandon its disgraceful quest to fill a beautiful lake with toxic ash slurry, when environmentally sustainable solutions exist.

"If RWE npower think they can scare the local population into submission they should think again. Radley's remaining lakes should be saved for the community."

John Rainford, station manager at Didcot A power station, said after the hearing: "As a responsible employer, we need the injunction to protect out staff and contractors, the site and our lawful work there from illegal disruption.

"We applied for and agreed some amendments to the original injunction to clarify the situation for local people and the media.

"Given the current calmer situation at the site, these changes are welcome as they strike the right balance between protection for us and the rights of the public.

"We recognise that most people wish to make views known about Radley Lakes in a peaceful and lawful fashion and we have no desire to prevent them from doing so - they have nothing to fear from the injunction."

Trouble began in February when a group of squatters occupied a house called Sandles, on npower's property at Radley Lakes.

The squatters were removed after a court ordered their eviction on February 6.

The company needed to fell a large number of trees by March 1 and, fearing the work would be obstructed, sought an emergency injunction on February 14 to reign in the protests.

Even though the immediate purpose of the injunction was served when the trees were felled, the company said it feared further harassment and trespass and applied for an extension and variation of the order.

Campaigners are trying to get Radley Lakes designated as a Town Green, to protect the area from development.

  • Save Radley Lakes is holding a sponsored dog walk tomorrow to raise money to help pay its legal fees. The walk starts at 1pm at Abbey Meadows in Abingdon.