A climate-change activist who scaled Didcot power station’s 200-metre-high chimney was due to appear in court today.

Despite vowing to stay up there for a week, the protesters changed their minds at 4am last Wednesday. The four female and five male activists gave up their sit-in almost 48 hours after breaking into the plant and using an angle-grinder to cut their way into the chimney’s entrance.

They were arrested on suspicion of aggravated trespass. One was bailed until today, and the other eight until November 24 and 25.

Eleven other activists who chained themselves to the power station’s coal conveyer belt were arrested on Tuesday, October 27, and have been bailed to return to Abingdon police station between November 23 and 25.

Throughout the occupation, the power station continued to run.

RWE npower spokesman Claire Loveday said the company would be reviewing site security with the police to learn lessons from the second break-in in three years.

She said the review would include front gate security and increasing staff numbers.

In 2006, abseiling Greenpeace protestors who had broken into the plant daubed ‘Blair’s Legacy’ on the side of the chimney.