Climate Camp: Police step up patrols and Ineos calls for activists to be 'respectful' as camp is set up in Bo'ness

Assistant Chief Constable Emma Bond said: “We are aware of the planned event. Our priority is public safety, and a comprehensive policing plan is in place to maintain people’s safety, enable peaceful protest and minimise disruption.

“Decisions about how to police protests require us to balance complex and often competing rights and issues. We have a legal duty to protect the rights of people who wish to peacefully protest or counter-protest.”

Ineos, meanwhile, broke its silence over the camp and the activists, who have stated the petrochemical giant “makes hundreds of millions in profit each year, while the people of Grangemouth pay the price with their health, workers pay with their job security, and all of us with the collapse of our climate”.

An Ineos spokesperson said: “We know Climate Camp Scotland will be near Grangemouth and wish those taking part a safe week. We will liaise with the relevant

authorities as required to ensure the continued safety of our staff, activists and those in the local community throughout the Climate Camp.

"We trust those at the camp will consider the safety of themselves and be respectful to the town and those around them whilst enjoying a peaceful event. This is our

home, where we operate a safe sustainable business that serves the Scottish economy well, provides skilled jobs and essential products whilst meeting its climate responsibilities.

"Ineos is one of the last remaining large scale manufacturing companies in Scotland. We provide many of the basic raw materials that are essential to many of the

products that we all use on a daily basis.

"From mobile phones, to water and gas pipes, to medical products, cars, buses and trains, tents, waterproofs and training shoes. Even wind turbines and solar cells n

eed the products made here by thousands of skilled workers.

“We are committed to delivering these products safely and maintaining thousands of direct and indirect jobs, whilst working towards being a net zero manufacturer by

2045.

"And we are making good progress, significantly reducing the emissions from our operations. Since buying the Grangemouth site, Ineos has already reduced emissions by nearly 40 per cent.

"Our next step, to use hydrogen and carbon capture via the Acorn project, will make our reduction >65%. Our Road Map beyond this will reduce this further to net zero

by 2045."

The camp, which opened to people at 6pm on Wednesday, is scheduled to close at 4pm on Monday, July 17.

A Climate Camp Scotland spokesperson said: “We’re here because nowhere else in Scotland even comes close to damaging the climate as much as Ineos Grangemouth. This is the heart of Scotland’s fossil fuel monster.

“If Scotland is to escape from the tyranny of fossil pollution, it must urgently transition to something better, and that change has to take place at Grangemouth more than anywhere.”