Four jailed after foiled Just Stop Oil plot to disrupt Manchester Airport during summer holidays

Four climate activists from ‘Just Stop Oil’ have been sentenced to a combined seven years and five months in prison for attempting to disrupt operations at Manchester Airport in August 2024. The group, Indigo Rumbelow (31), Daniel Knorr (23), Margaret Reid (54), and Ella Ward (22), were intercepted by police in the early hours of 5 August before they could access the airport’s airfield.

Details on the foiled plan to disrupt Manchester Airport by ‘Just Stop Oil’ 

Greater Manchester Police (GMP) officers from the Tactical Vehicle Intercept Unit detained the group as they walked along South Park Road in Gatley towards the airport. They were carrying bolt cutters, angle grinders, glue, sand, high-visibility vests branded with ‘Just Stop Oil’, and a leaflet with guidance on engaging with police. Ward was also found with a handwritten note detailing the group’s intention: to enter the airfield and glue themselves to the taxiway in a bid to cause disruption and attract media attention.

The plan, which coincided with the peak of the summer holiday travel period, was part of a coordinated campaign dubbed the ‘Oil Kills’ international uprising. The action targeted 31 airports globally, calling for an end to fossil fuel extraction and use by 2030. GMP confirmed that a fifth suspect, Noah Crane, was found not guilty.

Following their arrest, officers searched a rented property in Gatley and recovered items linked to the plot, including Knorr’s provisional driving licence and a camera harness. The investigation was led by GMP’s Specialist Operations Branch in collaboration with national policing units.

In court, all four defendants were found guilty of conspiracy to intentionally cause a public nuisance. Sentencing at Manchester Crown Court on Minshull Street, Judge MacAdam handed Rumbelow a 30-month sentence, Knorr 24 months, and Reid and Ward 18 months each. All four were also ordered to pay £2,000 in costs.

Assistant Chief Constable Chris Sykes of GMP said: “Bringing together experts in the field, and through extensive collaboration, Greater Manchester Police successfully foiled their plans. A meticulous investigation followed, and today, we have seen those responsible jailed. Anyone who disrupts the safety and security of an airport can expect to be dealt with swiftly and robustly.”

Senior Investigating Officer, Detective Chief Inspector Tony Platten, stressed the group’s timing: “We know this disruption was deliberately planned to coincide with the height of the summer holidays, targeting the public and their families. People work hard for their time off, and we have a duty to ensure they can enjoy it without fear or disruption.”

Rad Taylor, Director of Aerodrome Operations at Manchester Airport, welcomed the outcome: “The safety and security of our passengers is always our number one concern. What these individuals were planning would not only have caused significant disruption for tens of thousands of passengers, but also a significant safety risk. The potential consequences of that do not bear thinking about.”

Nicola Wells, Senior Crown Prosecutor for CPS North West, added: “This was a targeted attack, at the height of summer, against one of the country’s busiest airports. Whenever the right to protest crosses into criminality, we will not hesitate to prosecute.”

GMP praised the swift action of its units and the cooperation of national policing bodies. The convictions mark a significant moment in the effort to prevent climate protest actions from interfering with critical infrastructure and public safety.

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