The protest at Rettendon is finally over after the last five eco-warriors were pulled from their tunnels and arrested.

The three women and two men, aged from their late teens to early 30s, were dragged from their tunnels at around midnight. They were due to be interviewed by police at Rayleigh early today (Friday).

The remaining warriors, known as Ernie, Billie Wilson, Fred, Russell and Felix, had spent a record 34 days underground and six days in a makeshift bunker.

Their aim was to cost A130 bypass developers as much money as possible in a bid to persuade them to rethink the route and save the surrounding countryside.

The group's liaison officer, Disco Dave, said today he expected the team to be depressed but glad the dig-in was over.

He said: "Their legs will be stiff because of the lack of circulation and they will be very disorientated."

Disco Dave said he was disappointed at the lack of co-operation between the authorities and the protesters during the final moments.

He said: "We were actually building up quite a rapport with the police. There has not been any conflict in the past but they did not see fit to call us when it all happened last night.

"I think it has been done through the night to avoid the press when the whole point of this protest was to bring the issue to the public's attention.

"The mood of the warriors will be determined by how they were brought out. I am sure they would not have given themselves up."

When bailiffs finally broke into the underground chamber last weekend they could find no trace of the protesters who had disappeared along another 15ft of tunnels.

An officer at Rayleigh police station said: "The eco-warriors arrived at around 1am today. They have been asleep since being signed in and will be spoken to later today. The evidence will then be looked at before charges are put if necessary."

Eco-protest's £6m price tag

The cost of the A130 eco-protest at Rettendon has reached a staggering £6 million - and will have to be met from national or local taxes.

That was the claim of outgoing Essex highways chairman Neil Spurgeon this week.

Councillor Spurgeon, who represents Chelmsford West, said that he had been under pressure from fellow councillors who were angry at the mounting costs as five tunnelling protesters record their fifth week under Gorse Wood.

"It is all very well having the democratic right to protest, but when we look at what this has cost and what the potential for other protest costs are, what price democracy?" he said.

"I have not commented earlier because I had not wanted to give the protest any additional oxygen of publicity, but the people of Essex have a right to know what it is costing."

The Essex Alliance for Sustainable Transport (EAST), whose nine groups include Essex Wildlife Trust and Friends of the Earth, claim that the County Route consortium should be picking up the entire security bill.

"Who sanctioned the huge overkill security presence involving hundreds of bailiffs, security guards and police?" said an EAST representative.

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