Ten Grand National protesters charged as investigation continues into Aintree disruption

Nine animal rights protesters who were arrested in the vicinity of Aintree on Grand National day have been charged with wilfully obstructing the public highway, and have been released on bail pending court appearances on November 22 and December 20.

A tenth person has been charged with stopping or causing a vehicle to remain at rest on a carriageway of a motorway.

Merseyside Police is continuing its investigation into the actions of protesters who gained access to the course itself, causing a significant delay to the start of the race. 

The charges relate to two incidents in which protesters blocked the northbound carriageway of the M57 at Junction 2, as well as Wango Lane, which runs parallel to the side of the Grand National course on the opposite side of the Leeds Liverpool Canal.

The start of the Grand National was delayed by 15 minutes when a small number of protesters got on to the courseCredit: Edward Whitaker

Detective Chief Inspector Ben Dyer said: “Merseyside Police respects the right to a peaceful protest and expression of views, but criminal behaviour and disorder will never be tolerated.

“Our investigation into the protest on the racecourse at Aintree on Saturday April 15 remains ongoing and if anyone has any information, please get in touch.”

A total of 118 arrests were made on Grand National day before and during racing, after weeks of newspaper stories and briefings by the protest group Animal Rising, which said it would attempt to prevent the race from taking place. 

The start of the race was delayed by 15 minutes and when the course had been cleared many of the traditional preliminaries were dispensed with, including the parade of runners in front of the stands and the national anthem. 

Ben Newman runs on to the course and is tackled to the ground on Derby Day at EpsomCredit: Alan Crowhurst

The Jockey Club says the cost of extra security measures at Aintree ran to £70,000 plus VAT, while the group spent another £150,000 securing Epsom on Derby Day, when a single protester briefly ran on to the course after the start of the race, as well as incurring considerable legal expenses when taking out a court injunction against Animal Rising ahead of the Classic. 

Ben Newman was given an 18-week suspended prison sentence in July for intentionally causing a public nuisance, which was followed by a £10,000 fine and a further two-months suspended sentence in October for breaching the injunction after engaging in what Jockey Club chief executive Nevin Truesdale described as "a reckless stunt which could have compromised the safety and security of humans and horses" at Epsom.

The ten people charged with highway offences at Aintree are listed by police as residing in Cheshire, Essex, Bedfordshire, Norfolk and London.

Read these next:

118 arrested as 2023 Grand National delayed after animal rights protesters storm track at Aintree 

'The people were defending their race' - racegoers praised after helping to stop Grand National protesters 

Watch: ITV Racing's Kevin Blake takes on animal activist in TV debate 

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