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Three women charged under Terrorism Act after van driven into fence of defence factory

Three women charged under Terrorism Act after van driven into fence of defence factory

Sky News6 days ago
Three women have been charged under the Terrorism Act after a van was driven into an external fence of a defence business in Edinburgh.
The incident happened at the Leonardo facility in Crewe Road North last Tuesday.
The three women - aged 31, 34 and 42 - who were earlier arrested under the Terrorism Act have been charged and are due to appear at Edinburgh Sheriff Court on Monday.
Police Scotland's Counter Terrorism Unit is leading the investigation and enquiries are ongoing.
Officers are appealing for information to trace the movements of a blue Ford Transit van in the Gorgie Road area last Monday and prior to the incident last Tuesday.
They are also keen to trace the movements of a white Honda CR-Z on those days. It was recovered from a car park in Gorgie Road following the incident.
Direct action campaign group Shut Down Leonardo - which said it aims to target aerospace, defence and security company Leonardo's headquarters in Edinburgh - posted a photo of a van.
It showed police on the roof of a vehicle, which has a Palestine flag hanging off the back.
Shut Down Leonardo claims the factory makes components for Israel's F-35 fighter jets.
A Leonardo spokesperson told the PA news agency: "Leonardo UK is subject to UK government export controls and does not supply equipment direct to Israel.
"The right to peaceful protest is an important principle in our society, however, aggressive and violent activity should have no place in protest.
"The intimidation of our people, who work hard to support the security and defence of the UK, is not acceptable."
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