"Ribbon" protestors allowed to attend further meetings (From Hereford Times)

"Ribbon" protestors allowed to attend further meetings

2:18pm Thursday 26th July 2007 in

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AN ELDERLY couple arrested for their part in the Rotherwas Ribbon protests have been given the all-clear to attend further council meetings.

Mervyn and Virginia Morgan, of Walford, near Ross-on-Wye, were arrested on July 12 following a sit-in at a Herefordshire Council cabinet meeting at Brockington.

The couple, aged 81 and 72, pleaded not guilty to aggravated tresspassing at Hereford Magistrates yesterday, while a third protestor, Jacqueline Tonge, of Bute Avenue, Putson, Hereford, also appeared but did not enter a plea.

A condition banning the couple from attending further council meetings was overturned by magistrates, eliciting a round of applause from a packed public gallery.

The Morgan's defence lawyer, Roger Dallimore, accused the council or being heavy-handed and compared the order to "hitting a walnut with a sledgehammer".

"The question I ask you is do you really find it necessary to impose conditions on pensioners in their 70s and 80s," he asked, "simply because they're interested and share a view as to how an archaeological find should be dealt with."

The couple were due to attend a re-arranged hearing next Wednesday, but were allowed to enter a plea as they have engagements in London.

Tonge, 46, spoke only to confirm her name and address at last week's hearing, and is due to appear before Magistrates at next week's hearing with five other protesters.