Cleared power station activists tell of fury over 'rigged trial'

Environmentalists wrongly accused of trying to shut down the country's second largest power station today told of their anger over their "rigged trial".

The activists were speaking for the first time since Appeal Court judges quashed their convictions and ruled there had been a miscarriage of justice.

The 20 protesters were cleared of conspiracy to commit aggravated trespass at the Ratcliffe-on-Soar coal-fired power station in Nottinghamshire, after it emerged that evidence from undercover Met Police officer Mark Kennedy was withheld from their lawyers.

Posing as an activist, Mr Kennedy was among 114 people arrested in 2009 hours before some of them planned to shut the power station temporarily.

Dan Glass, 27, a community educator from Barnet, among those whose conviction was quashed, claimed the case was "a flagrant example of political policing", adding: "It's been financially and emotionally draining."

Rebecca Quinn, 23, from Tottenham, who was arrested but not charged, said: "Some people have done community service for a conviction that has been overturned."

In December, five protesters were ordered to do between 60 and 90 hours of unpaid community work. The rest were given conditional discharges.

Last Wednesday, appeal judges concluded "something went seriously wrong with the trial", stating: "The jury were ignorant of evidence, helpful to the defence, which was in the possession of the prosecution but which was never revealed. As a result justice miscarried." The court also ruled Mr Kennedy went "much further" than authorised and, arguably, acted as an "agent provocateur".

An earlier trial of six activists collapsed in January when the prosecution offered no evidence. Today, environmentalists said they feared there may be other unsafe convictions secured on the basis of undercover police operations. Adam Weymouth, 27, a north London writer whose conviction was quashed, called for a public inquiry.

The Crown Prosecution Service said there were "a number" of ongoing inquiries into the case: "It would be inappropriate to comment, particularly as the Director of Public Prosecutions has set up an independent inquiry."