Activists halt operations at Scottish coal terminal

Climate protesters claim they have closed down one of Scotland's main coal terminals, halting 11 coal trucks and a freight train, as activists extended their campaign against opencast mining in South Lanarkshire. Lucy, a camp spokesperson (she would not give her full name), said today's action at Ravenstruther led to 11 coal trucks queuing at the terminal's gate and prevented a coal train being loaded. She said today's action at Ravenstruther involved a male protester locking himself to a digging machine used to load a conveyor that services trucks and coal trains, forcing loading operations there to stop. She said this led to 11 coal trucks queuing at the terminal's gate and prevented a coal train being loaded this morning. The protester was arrested by British Transport police, and a spokesman for Scottish Coal, which operates the rail terminal, said there was "minimal disruption to the supply chain."