POLICE have confirmed that 30 people have been arrested following a protest by Extinction Rebellion at newspaper printing presses at Knowsley Business Park.

Officers were alerted at 10.10pm last night, Friday, September 4, following reports that a group of protestors had gathered outside the Newsprinters presses on Kitling Road, Knowsley.

The 30 people were arrested on suspicion of aggravated trespass, say police. They have been taken to police stations across Merseyside where they will be interviewed by officers.

A police statement read: "A boat and two vans, used by the protestors to cause obstruction to and from the premises of News International have been removed. The incident has now been stood down and the surrounding roads and entrances have been fully opened."

A similar protest took place in Hertfordshire, where police earlier said delivery lorries had not left the Broxbourne site of Newsprinters as of 6am on Saturday.

According to the Press Association, the Newsprinters presses publish the Rupert Murdoch-owned News Corp's titles including The Sun, The Times, The Sun on Sunday and The Sunday Times. They also print titles such as The Daily Telegraph and Sunday Telegraph, the Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday.

Ian Murray, executive director of the Society of Editors, added: "Everyone has the right to peacefully protest and make their voices heard, after all that is what a free press is all about. But it is not acceptable for those who wish only their voices to be heard to attempt to silence others."

On Twitter, Extinction Rebellion said it was "sorry" for disruption caused to newsagents but it was not apologising to Mr Murdoch for disrupting his "agenda".

The Federation of Independent Retailers (NFRN) said the protests had hit home delivery operations, including for the "elderly and vulnerable", with its members having to deal with "angry customers".

National president Stuart Reddish said: "Newsagents have played a critical role during Covid-19 in getting newspapers into the hands of readers and this is not helpful at a time when every sale counts."

Reacting on Twitter, Home Secretary Priti Patel said: "This morning people across the country will be prevented from reading their newspaper because of the actions of Extinction Rebellion.

"This attack on our free press, society and democracy is completely unacceptable."

Newsprinters condemned the protests as an "attack on all of the free press" which had affected workers going about their jobs, and others such as newsagents who face a "financial penalty".

The company said it had transferred printing to other sites, but that delays would occur in some deliveries of The Sun, The Times, the Daily Mail, the Daily Telegraph and the Financial Times.

Under a banner reading "Free the truth", XR tweeted that it was using the disruption to expose the newspapers' "failure to report on the climate & ecological emergency, and their consistent manipulation of truth to suit their own agendas".

"Coverage in many of the newspapers printed here is polluting national debate on climate change, immigration policy, the rights and treatment of minority groups, and on dozens of other issues," the group said.