Caroline Lucas pleads not guilty after protest arrest
Parliament's only Green MP pleaded not guilty to a public order charge today, following her arrest during an anti-fracking protest at a Cuadrilla drilling site in Balcombe, West Sussex.
Caroline Lucas was among at least 25 people arrested during a 'day of action' in August.
She faces one count of breaching section 14 of the Public Order Act and one count of wilful obstruction of the highway
The 52-year-old entered her plea at Crawley Magistrates' Court.
"I firmly believe in the right to peaceful protest and remain deeply concerned about the impact of fracking on climate change and the wider environment," she said recently.
"I have been advised by my lawyer to make no further comment at this stage."
The Brighton Pavillion MP was with hundreds of protesters outside the energy firms drilling sites in Sussex.
Campaigners say fracking could trigger earthquakes and increase Britain's reliance on fossil fuels, as well as create an eyesore in the countryside.
