Five in court after climate protests against RBS

Five climate change activists appeared in Edinburgh Sheriff Court yesterday after protests against Royal Bank of Scotland.

• A police officer surveys some of the damage caused by protesters at RBS headquarters at Gogarburn Picture: Ian Georgeson

Giovanna Speciale, 38, and Tim Gee, 25, both from London, and 34-year old Cara Whelan, from Caredigion in Wales, denied committing a breach of the peace on Monday at an RBS branch in Nicolson Street by stopping customers entering, chanting slogans and glueing themselves to each other and the entrance door.

Eleanor Smith, 24, from London, denied painting graffiti on eight bins belonging to the bank on the Royal Mile. Martin Wallace, 58, from Impasse Shaudaon, France, denied assaulting police sergeant Kevin Storey at Gogarburn Bridge by rubbing his head, which had nettles attached, against the officer's arm, and assaulting unknown officers by attempting to strike them with a stick or similar instrument.

Trial was fixed for early next year and all were granted bail on the special conditions they left Edinburgh by 7pm yesterday, did not enter the city unless attending court or pre-arranged meetings with their solicitor and did not go within 500 yards of the RBS HQ at Gogarburn.