A 74-year-old man and a 60-year-old woman become the first people to be arrested outside the Egdon Resources oil exploration site at Biscathorpe in Lincolnshire.

Lincolnshire Police said the arrests were made at about 10am today and the pair were taken to Skegness police station.

DrillOrDrop understands the man was charged with obstruction of the highway and the woman with obstructing police.

They are due to appear before Lincoln magistrates on 7 February 2019 and are expected to plead not guilty. A condition of their bail is to not go within five miles of the Biscathorpe site.

Opponents of Egdon’s operation at Biscathorpe have taken part in sit-down and slow walking protests outside the site this week as drilling equipment was delivered.

Protest outside Biscathorpe oil site, 3 January 2019. Photo: Jane Rushby Deliveries to Biscathorpe oil site, 2 January 2019. Photo: Nige Corser

They have criticised the company’s plans to explore for oil in the Wolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and next to a protected chalk stream.

Lincolnshire County Council’s planning committee unanimously approved in May 2018 an extension of time for drilling at Biscathorpe after the original permission expired. There were more than 500 objections or petition signatures against the application.