Strawberries on the line

<*> Pat Arrowsmith and David Polden have been acquitted of charges under the Malicious Damages Act as a result of their sitdown protest in front of a nuclear train at Stratford station, east London.

The Crown Court trial of the "Stratford Two" got off to an inauspicious beginning, with the judge telling the defendants that he would rule out any defence evidence that related to the train's cargo--nuclear waste en route to Sellafield, Cumbria for reprocessing. "It would be no more relevant [to the case] if the cargo were strawberries" he was reported as saying. Proceedings were thrown further off track when a witness failed to show.

After representations by Pat and David's lawyer, the judge ruled that the original indictment was not lawful. He then instructed the jury to acquit.

The Stratford Two result is unlikely to affect the trial of Katy Andrews, Chris Gwyntopher, and Oliver Stoll--the Stratford Three--on 14 August at Stratford Magistrates Court.