'The danger is very real': security expert on threat to PM after Greenpeace scaled his home
4 August 2023, 14:05
A security expert spoke about the “very real” danger to senior politicians’ lives after “dangerous groups” may have taken lessons from Greenpeace scaling Rishi Sunak’s home on Thursday with relative ease.
“Thank god it was only Greenpeace,” security expert and founder of Inrepid Protection, Ed Hill, told Nick Ferrari on LBC.
“I am sure there are far more dangerous groups that are out there that would love to get access to the home of the British Prime Minister.”
Ferrari then asked Hill about the danger around others now targeting Sunak’s house – and possibly the Chancellor or Foreign Secretary’s – having seen how easily Greenpeace had managed to pull off the stunt.
“The danger is very real,” Hill said. “We only have to look at recent events involving other politicians – David Emus or Jo Cox.”
Four Greenpeace activists climbed onto Rishi Sunak's £2million mansion in Yorkshire on Thursday, as a protest against the UK's North Sea oil and gas expansion.
They covered it in what they described as 200 sq m (2,150 sq ft) of "oily-black fabric". This was part of a protest at his backing for a major expansion of North Sea oil and gas drilling.
Read more: Greenpeace activists scale Rishi Sunak's £2million mansion in protest against oil and gas expansion
It came after Sunak unveiled moves to press ahead with oil and gas exploration and production in the North Sea.
Former North Yorkshire Police Deputy Chief Constable Peter Walker also spoke to LBC on Thursday, saying he was "astonished" at the "major breach of security".
"I am absolutely astonished that they have been able to gain the access that they have," he said."It is clearly, in my view, a major breach of security.
"Obviously, nobody was there to prevent what they were doing and they've had access to the roof as well.
"They have done a protest and don’t appear to have caused any damage but, if free access is being granted to that property, people who wanted to do much more serious things would be able to leave devices, booby traps… I think this is a major failing and it grieves me to say it because it's my old police force that's failed."
The group claimed they knocked on the door upon their arrival and said "this is a peaceful protest" - but there was no answer.
It is not known who reported them to police, but by the time officers arrived in force, the four were sat 40ft up on the roof.
One of the four roof activists was identified as Alex Wilson, who lives in Newcastle with their partner but is originally from East Yorkshire. They said they are a "volunteer climber with Greenpeace" and were sat on the roof with "Amy, Mike and Matteo".
The protest comes after Mr Sunak unveiled moves to press ahead with oil and gas exploration and production in the North Sea.
Greenpeace activists speak from the top of Rishi Sunak's Yorkshire house
He added: "I suspect that what has happened is that people have not done their job - in an operational sense - who are much closer to the action.
"But there really does need to be a significant investigation into how this has been allowed to happen."
The group claimed they knocked on the door upon their arrival and said "this is a peaceful protest" - but there was no answer.
It is not known who reported them to police, but by the time officers arrived in force, the four were sat 40ft up on the roof.
One of the four roof activists was identified as Alex Wilson, who lives in Newcastle with their partner but is originally from East Yorkshire. They said they are a "volunteer climber with Greenpeace" and were sat on the roof with "Amy, Mike and Matteo".
Philip Evans, Greenpeace UK’s climate campaigner, said: “We desperately need our prime minister to be a climate leader, not a climate arsonist.
"Just as wildfires and floods wreck homes and lives around the world, Sunak is committing to a massive expansion of oil and gas drilling.”
A Downing Street source said: "We make no apology for taking the right approach to ensure our energy security, using the resources we have here at home so we are never reliant on aggressors like (Vladimir) Putin for our energy. We are also investing in renewables and our approach supports 1000s of British jobs."
A spokesperson for North Yorkshire Police said officers were responding to reports of protest activity at a property in Kirby Sigston, near Northallerton. "Our officers are at the scene and managing the situation. We’ll provide a further update in due course."
Greenpeace activists climb Rishi Sunak's Yorkshire house
