British anti-fracking protesters scuffle with police at oil well

Police at an anti-fracking camp in rural England arrested at least a dozen protesters on Monday, including Green Party lawmaker Caroline Lucas, according to a Reuters reporter.
   
The arrests were made as a long-running standoff at an oil exploration site turned violent with several protesters seen being carried by police into vans in the village of Balcombe in West Sussex about 35 miles (55 km) south of London.
   
Opponents of the drilling process known as 'fracking' have already forced privately owned Cuadrilla Resources to suspend oil drilling at the site. A spokeswoman for the No Dash for Gas group said people were arrested earlier in the day and more detained as police tried to clear roads around the site.
   
Sussex police said they would announce later on Monday how many people had been arrested.
   
In what could be the biggest public challenge yet for Britain's shale gas prospectors, opponents of the drilling process known as 'fracking' have already forced privately owned Cuadrilla Resources to suspend oil drilling at the site.
   
After several days of largely peaceful protests against Cuadrilla, campaigners scuffled with police on Monday at the entrance of its oil exploration site in the village of Balcombe, a village in West Sussex about 35 miles (55 km) south of London.
   
Others broke into the headquarters of Cuadrilla in Staffordshire and several demonstrators managed to enter the public relations firm in London that is representing the group.
   
Prime Minister David Cameron has said that Britain needs fracking as it could reduce energy bills, create jobs and help meet Britain's energy needs.

 
REUTERS