An eco-warrior in a tunnel underneath the LMS station in Oxford threatened to strangle himself if bailiffs tried to remove him.

The protester said he was lying in a concrete-encased hole with a noose around his neck and a rope attached to a trap door. If bailiffs tried to open the door, he said the noose would strangle him.

A spokesman for Oxford University, which owns the site, said bailiffs tried drilling through the concrete at the tunnel's entrance to remove the protester.

He was finally removed last night, arrested and checked by a doctor. His threats to strangle himself turned out to be a hoax, the University said.

Meanwhile, another protester locked on to a metal roof girder was removed and arrested. A specialist tunnel team today continued to remove one or two remaining eco-warriors from under the building. It is believed one was having oxygen pumped to him. The operation was due to end today. Police said a dozen evicted protesters had been charged with obstructing a court officer. They are: Gregory Denyer, 39, Joanna Huddart, 25, Michael Hamblett, 47, Richard Holdman, 47, Simon Murray, 33, Stephen Brenig/ Jones, 27, and Mark Borrett, 26, all from Oxford.

Martin O'Brien, 38, of Sheffield; Jade Morrisey, 40; Pamela Smith, 41, of Edinburgh; Emily Maynard-Smith, 22, of Letchworth, Herts; Patrick Cullen, 39, of Reading; Andrew White, 18, of Cheltenham, and a 17-year-old girl who cannot be named have all been bailed to appear before Oxford City Magistrates in October.

Green Party city councillor Mike Woodin was arrested and released on police bail.

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