A PROTESTER from Swindon was one of 18 people arrested and charged after staging an unlawful protest on a railway line in Wales.

British Transport Police (BTP) have confirmed that the 25-year-old man from Swindon was part of the group that were arrested after the protest, which took place at a railway line just outside the Ffros Y Fran open cast coal mining site in Merthyr Tydfil, South Wales, on Monday.

The 11 men and seven women, aged between 21 and 55, were arrested on Monday afternoon by BTP officers who were dispatched to two locations near the Ffos Y Fran site where small numbers of people had congregated to stage protests and prevent coal trains running from the mining site to a power station in the Vale of Glamorgan.

Eight of those arrested are from Bristol, one is from Bath and one is from Swindon. The remaining eight refused to give police details of their addresses.

All 18 have been charged with Obstruction of the Railway with Intent, contrary to Section 35 of the Malicious Damage Act 1861.

The offence carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. All 18 have been bailed to appear at Merthyr Tydfil Magistrates’ Court on Monday, May 10.

A spokesman for the BTP said: “The police service’s responsibility is to safeguard the protestors’ right to a peaceful protest, but also to safeguard the rights of individuals and businesses to carry out their lawful business.”

BTP officers were assisted by colleagues from South Wales Police and Gwent Police. The railway line at Ffos Y Fran was handed back to Network Rail at 8.10pm on the same day.