Four people arrested following protest at The Open

Police can confirm four people have been arrested following an incident at The Open this afternoon, Friday 21 July.

At around 12.20pm four people, who are believed to be members of Just Stop Oil, have attempted to disrupt play at the 17th hole.

A small amount of powder was discarded onto the playing surface and it was reported that one person had a smoke pyrotechnic.

Two males and two females were quickly detained by both stewards and officers and they were arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit criminal damage and public nuisance. They will be taken into police custody to be questioned.

The powder was removed and play was uninterrupted.

Merseyside Police respects the right to protest and expression of views but antisocial, criminal behaviour or disorder will not be tolerated and will be dealt with robustly.

Police and R&A management will be looking to ensure the activities of anyone who wants to protest don’t disrupt the event itself and if necessary we will used relevant legislation to deal those people involved in it.

Contingency plans are in place to visitors enjoy these events in safety and with minimal disruption.