North Sea oil: climate activists arrested by police vans after six hours on Rishi Sunak's roof

A group of climate activists have been arrested after they scaled the Prime Minister's £2 million Yorkshire manor house and draped it in "oil-black fabric", in protest of his plans to grant new oil and gas licences during the climate crisis.

In the early hours of Thursday morning [3 August], four Greenpeace activists used ladders and climbing ropes to climb onto the building's roof, before unfolding a 200 square-metres of black fabric, covering one whole side of the building. At the same time, two others unfurled a banner, emblazoned with the words “Rishi Sunak - Oil Profits or Our Future?” across the grass in front of the house.

The group were on the roof from 6am, before climbing down themselves at around 12.30, where they were spoken to by police. They were then loaded into police vans. Greenpeace has confirmed they were arrested - on suspicion of criminal damage and public nuisance.

This comes after the Prime Minister's controversial announcement earlier this week, when he confirmed that a hundred new oil and gas exploration licences would be granted in the UK - along with announcing two new carbon capture projects - in an effort to "boost British energy independence".

The move sparked heavy criticism from Green Party politicians and climate activists alike, who said the move would fuel further climate destruction while doing nothing to help tackle the cost of living crisis.

The announcement came after it was revealed Rishi Sunak’s family firm signed a billion-dollar deal with BP two months before the PM opened North Sea licences. It also came in the midst of a series of apparent policy row-backs, after Labour's narrow loss in the Uxbridge by-election was attributed to an environmental policy.

Speaking from outside the house, Greenpeace climate campaigner Philip Evans told the PA news agency they had made sure the Prime Minister’s family were on holiday and not going to be at home before carrying out the protest, which is a response to Mr Sunak saying he would “max out” oil and gas in the North Sea.

He told PA the group had knocked on the door when they arrived and said: “This is a peaceful protest” but there was no answer. Asked whether it was still intrusive to target someone’s home, Mr Evans said: “This is the Prime Minister. He is the one that was standing in Scotland going to drill for every last drop of oil while the world is burning. He is personally responsible for that decision and we’re all going to be paying a high price if he goes through with it. It is personal.”

Commenting on the protest earlier, Mr Evans said: “We desperately need our Prime Minister to be a climate leader, not a climate arsonist.

"Just as wildfires and floods wreck homes and lives around the world, Sunak is committing to a massive expansion of oil and gas drilling," he continued. "He seems quite happy to hold a blowtorch to the planet if he can score a few political points by sowing division around climate in this country."

“Sunak is even willing to peddle the old myth about new oil and gas helping ordinary people struggling with energy bills when he knows full well it’s not true. More North Sea drilling will only benefit oil giants who stand to make even more billions from it, partly thanks to a giant loophole in Sunak’s own windfall tax."

Mr Evans said that the experts were clear - "we can’t afford any new oil and gas... what we need is a clean, affordable energy system fit for the 21st century."

North Yorkshire Police said the four had been arrested on suspicion of causing criminal damage and public nuisance. Assistant Chief Constable Police Elliot Foskett said: “Shortly after 8am this morning we responded swiftly to reports of protest activity at the Prime Minister’s North Yorkshire address.

“There was no threat to the wider public throughout this incident which has now been brought to a safe conclusion," he added. “The Prime Minister and his family were not at the address at the time of the incident.”

When asked about the protesters earlier on Thursday, a Downing Street spokesperson defended the Prime Minister's climate policies.

“We make no apology for taking the right approach to ensure our energy security, using the resources we have here at home so we are never reliant on aggressors like [Russian President Vladimir] Putin for our energy,” they said. “We are also investing in renewables and our approach supports thousands of British jobs.”

Meanwhile, deputy prime minister Oliver Dowden told reporters: “I think what most people would say [to protesters] is ‘can you stop the stupid stunts’ - actually what they want to see from Government is action.

“That’s what you’re seeing here today – the world’s largest offshore wind farm being built right here, creating jobs," he added.

The International Energy Agency and the United Nations have both said there can be no new fossil fuel projects if there is to be any chance of keeping global temperature rises under 1.5 degrees. July was on track to be the hottest month in recorded history, as back-to-back heatwaves and wildfires scoured much of the planet.