POLICE have charged 26 people following a protest by Extinction Rebellion at newspaper printing presses at Knowsley Business Park on Friday night.

Thirty people had been arrested on suspicion of aggravated trespass after protestors gathered outside the Newsprinters presses on Kitling Road, Knowsley, blocking delivery vans from leaving the site.

Police said a boat and two vans were used to cause obstruction to and from the premises, which is located just off the East Lancs Road.

Some newsagents' shelves were left empty on Saturday morning because of the demonstration.

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.

Merseyside Police said it had since charged 26 people, aged between 19 and 60, following a demonstration at the "News International premises" in Knowsley.

They are due to appear at Liverpool, Knowsley and St Helens Magistrates' Court on January 8 and 13 next year.

Police said all 26 have been granted bail under the condition they do not enter Merseyside or contact any News International employees.

Extinction Rebellion protestors also gathered a Newsprinters press in Hertfordshire on Friday night and Saturday night, where police said they had taken 50 people into custody.

The following people have been charged with aggravated trespass in connection with the Knowsley protest:

William Morgan, 38, of Carfield Avenue, Sheffield, South Yorkshire

Neil Traynor, 37, of Mosspark Road, Stretford, Manchester

Stuart Akroyd, 44, of no fixed address

Lydia Dibben, 22, of Woodside Avenue, Burley, Leeds, West Yorkshire

Patrick Fraine, 28, of Groveland Avenue, Hoylake, Wirral

Rhiann Beaumont, 24, of Primrose Farm, Felindre, Brecon, Wales

Joel Instone, 30, of no fixed address

Thomas Dalton, 21, of no fixed address

Mirian Instone, 22, of Spring Close Mount, Sheffield

Peaceful Warrior, 54, of Willow Close, Sleaford, Lincolnshire

Paul Sheeky, 45, of Wellfield Street, Warrington

Gregory Frey, 24 years of no fixed address

Deborah Ehrenberg, 60, of Church Terrace, Sowerby Bridge Halifax, West Yorkshire

Adam Haigh, 21, of no fixed abode

Elizabeth Haughton, 24, of no fixed address

Frances Henderson, 21, of Alan Road, Manchester

Roman Paluch-Machnik, 27, of Cuckoo Dene, Ealing

Lucy Walsh, 24 years of Nunmill Street, York

Meredith Dickenson, 22, of Liverpool Road, Manchester

Hamish Haynes, 46, of Quarry Clough, Stalybridge, Tameside

Joe Irving, 19, of Ambrose Street, York

Harrison Radcliffe, 21, of Shire Oak Road, Leeds

Brendan Taylor, 23, of Leymoor Road, Huddersfield

Patrick Thelwell, 21, of Celtic Road, Meols

Luca Vitale, 22, of Winston Gardens, Headingley, Leeds

Katie Ritchie-Moulin, 21, of Prospect Road, Birmingham

All have been bailed with conditions to Liverpool, Knowsley and St Helens Magistrates' Court in January next year.

The bail conditions sate they must no enter Merseyside. They must also not contact any witness or News International employees by self, servant or agent

Under additional proposals, Parliament, courts and the press could be given special status in regard to the key role they play in democracy, with the potential for police to be handed beefed-up powers to stop demonstrators entering designated areas outside such premises.

"It would be illegal to stop MPs going to vote or judges getting to court and it would also protect a free press," a Government source told PA.

Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said he thought police already had the powers needed to deal with protests.

Speaking to Sky News's Sophy Ridge On Sunday programme, he said: "We always keep all of our laws under review but I think actually the laws are in place to take relevant enforcement action against criminal behaviour."