Four Just Stop Oil protesters have been jailed after plotting to intentionally cause public nuisance at Manchester Airport.
Indigo Rumbelow, Leanorah Ward, Margaret Reid, and Daniel Knorr were first found guilty and appeared at Manchester Minshull Crown Court on 21 February after being arrested by officers from Greater Manchester Police‘s (GMP) Specialist Operations Branch and Serious Crime Division during the early hours of the morning last August.
But yesterday (27 May), they were each sentenced to jail time.
The four were detained while walking along South Park Road in Gatley as they made their way to Manchester Airport.
#JAILED | Four Just Stop Oil protestors jailed for a collective seven years and five months after GMP foil disruption activity plans close to Manchester Airport pic.twitter.com/3IXS1QaC3q
— Greater Manchester Police (@gmpolice) May 27, 2025
According to GMP, the group was equipped with heavy duty bolt cutters, angle grinders, glue, sand, Just Stop Oil high visibility vests, and a leaflet containing instructions to follow when interacting with police.
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One of the defendants, Leanorah Ward, was also found in possession of a handwritten detailing the motive of the group – which was to enter the airfield of Manchester Airport, before contacting the police to alert them of their activity.
It’s said that they were planning to stick themselves to the airfield taxiway using the glue and sand, with one main goal – to disrupt airport activity and gain media attention.
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Indigo Rumbelow, Leanorah Ward, Margaret Reid, and Daniel Knorr were jailed for a collective seven years and five months / Credit: GMP
GMP said the arrests of the four managed to ‘prevent large-scale disruption’ at Manchester Airport amid a ‘summer of chaos’ threatened by Just Stop Oil, and that police forces across the country worked to ensure disruption was kept to a minimum and that no members of the public were put at risk as a result of the group’s activity.
Indigo Rumbelow, Leanorah Ward, Margaret Reid, and Daniel Knorr have each been jailed for a collective seven years and five months.
“This result is testament to all the hard-working officers across the force,” explained GMP’s Assistant Chief Constable, Chris Sykes.
“When faced with complex and uncertain situations, we will always use the full resources of Greater Manchester Police to protect the public, prevent disruptions, and ensure people are brought to justice.”
Featured Image – Just Stop Oil
News
How will the Government’s new digital ID alternative for alcohol sales work?
Emily Sergeant
All licensed venues across England and Wales now have the choice to introduce digital proof of age for alcohol sales alongside physical.
Instead of having to hand over physical ID that contains personal information, such as names and home addresses, customers now have the choice to simply provide confirmation that they are 18 or over on their phone – helping to better protect privacy and personal safety in the process.
This means that, no matter whether you’re buying a drink at your favourite pub, heading to a festival, or enjoying a night out at a concert, you won’t need to worry if you’ve left your ID at home.
According to the Government, this new change will benefit businesses greatly too, as certified digital services are able to check that an ID is genuine and belongs to the person presenting it much easier than the alternative can, which therefore helps to reduce the risk of any fake or borrowed IDs going undetected.
Well, according to the Government, it could be as simple as a customer showing a QR code for staff to scan, or tapping their phone against a compatible reader, where staff will then receive a clear confirmation on their device that the customer has passed the age check.
This change follows a 2024 Government consultation where it was reported that 72% of respondents supported the use of digital identities for age verification when buying alcohol.
Digital Government Minister Stephanie Peacock reiterated that ‘it will remain an individual or business’ choice whether to use or adopt [digital ID]’ and that physical ID will ‘still remain a valid way’ for customers to prove their age.
“This groundbreaking change in the law will mean you do not need to carry a physical ID, nor hand over sensitive personal information such as your name or address just to prove your age, allowing everyone to feel safer on a night out,” she concluded.
Featured Image – Robin Worrall (via Unsplash)
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Manchester to host G20 Summit in 2027 with more than a dozen world leaders descending on the city
Emily Sergeant
Manchester has been confirmed as the host city for the G20 Summit next year.
It was already announced back in November last year that the G20 Summit would be coming to the UK in 2027, and plans were apparently already being discussed to host it in Manchester even before Andy Burnham became Prime Minister and Number 10 North was set up.
But now, ahead of this year’s leaders’ summit being held in Miami in December, it has been confirmed that the G20 Summit will arrive in Manchester in November 2027.
Manchester is said to have been picked to host the leaders’ summit because of its ‘cultural heritage’.
Bringing together 19 of the world’s largest economies and two major multilateral bodies – the European Union and the African union – G20 members who will be invited to attend the summit next year make up 85% of global GDP, 75% of international trade, and two-thirds of the world’s population as a whole.
Manchester has been confirmed to host the G20 Summit in 2027 / Credit: 10 Downing Street | Paul Kagame (Flickr)
G20 members are also some of the UK’s closest economic partners, the Government insists.
17 of the UK’s top 20 global export markets attend the summit, as do 18 of the UK’s top 20 sources of foreign direct investment.
The presidency of the G20 is currently held by the US but will pass to the UK after the leaders’ summit hosted by the president at his Trump National Doral Miami golf resort in December.
The 2027 summit will be held at Manchester Central, it has been confirmed, and other locations across the UK will also host other G20 events as part of the year-long presidency, but these are yet to be announced.
Emily Sergeant -
28th May 2025 
