XR activists including Olympic champion Etienne Scott ‘tampered with brakes of Shell oil tanker’

Six Extinction Rebellion activists including an Olympic gold medal-winning canoeist appeared in court today accused of tampering with an oil tanker during a protest.

Sporting hero Etienne Stott, 43, of Nottingham; Nichola Andersen, 50, of Cornwall; Erika Curren, 65, of Cornwall; Shaun Davies, 32, of no fixed address; and Amy Rugg-Easey, 31, of Newcastle, have been charged with tampering with the brake or another part of the Shell tanker in west London earlier this year.

They all deny the charge.

During a hearing at Westminster Magistrates’ Court this morning, the court heard the alleged incident took place at Porchester Terrace on the junction with Bayswater Road on April 16, hours ahead of an Extinction Rebellion demonstration in Hyde Park.

Andersen and Davies appeared at the court in person during the hearing, while Stott, Curren and Rugg-Easey all appeared via video link.

The group only spoke to confirm their names, addresses, dates of birth and to enter their pleas.

Etienne Stott, a former British Olympian who took home gold at London 2012, was seen atop the tanker being given a hard hat as police looked to remove him and another activist

Police officers place a hard hat on Etienne Stott, former Olympian, as they attempt to remove him and an activist from Extinction Rebellion who occupied an oil tanker during a protest calling for an end to fossil fuels on April 16

Etienne Stott poses with his his hold medal following the Men’s Canoe Double Slalom final during the London 2012 Olympics

Extinction Rebellion protesters climbed onto a Shell oil tanker during the protest in London

Photos appears to show the protestors glueing themselves to the wheel arches of the tanker which is stopped in the middle of the Queensway to the north of Hyde Park this morning 

Met Police officers were photographed at the scene, but appeared to only be standing by to prevent a traffic build up and to guard the tanker rather than pull down the protestors 

Extinction Rebellion campaigners from Weston-super-Mare hold up a banner during the protest 

Shaun Davies, 32, outside of Westminster Magistrates’ Court where he appeared charged with tampering with the brake or another part of a Shell tanker in west London earlier this year

Stott, a former British Olympian who took home gold at London 2012, was seen atop the tanker on the day of the incident being given a hard hat as police looked to remove him and another activist.

He was also pictured holding a sign reading: ‘If not you, who? If not now, when?’

The 43-year-old told the Mail on Sunday this summer of his activism, saying: ‘I’ve been arrested 10 times and I’ve been convicted twice for public order offences.

‘Both of them related to sitting in the road and refusing to move when asked to by police.

‘It is controversial. I do admit that and I understand. But I think it’s important that we are controversial because otherwise these issues will not be visible. Why would we risk our liberty and potentially being disliked if it wasn’t so important?’

A three-day trial has been set for January 25 2023.

They were all released on unconditional bail.