Activists' cases to be dropped

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A significant number of the cases brought against UK Uncut activists who stormed a central London department store in March are expected to be dropped, according to prosecutors.

Yesterday the hearings against the first 30 defendants began at the City of Westminster Magistrates' Court. In total, 139 protesters face charges of aggravated trespass, but the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) says it plans to throw out many of the remaining 109 charges under review. The news comes a week after five cases against minors aged 15-17 were dropped.

Police arrested 146 campaigners after they occupied Fortnum & Mason on 26 March in protest at the company's alleged tax avoidance. Scotland Yard refused to disclose how many hours of police time had been taken up by the case, but said officers from all sectors of the force had been involved.

The CPS could not confirm how many cases would be withdrawn, but said a "lack of evidence" and a failure to prove the charges were in the "public interest" would be the reasons behind any cases being discontinued.

Police looked at approximately 200 hours of CCTV footage from inside the store. A CPS spokeswoman said: "We expect there to be a significant reduction in the number of cases going to court."

Mike Schwarz, a solicitor at Bindmans, which represents around 110 of the activists, said "all cases should be discontinued". He said: "There is nothing significant to distinguish any one defendant from another. That is the nature of peaceful civil disobedience."

Raj Chada, a solicitor at Hodge Jones & Allen, who represents 20 of the defendants, said the conditions on which the 30 cases were chosen for trial were "arbitrary". The protesters were selected if they had banners, large quantities of leaflets, or if they had been involved in similar protests before.

Labour MP Diane Abbott offered her support to one of her constituents facing charges. She said: "An enormous amount of public money has been spent on a group that believes in peaceful protest."