THREE defendants have appeared in court charged with aggravated trespass during a protest against Nato while the military alliance’s summit was held in Newport earlier this month.

Eleanor Margaret Keen, 49, from Steed Cottages, Chartham Hatch, Kent, Deirdre Murphy, 60, from Brooklands Terrace, Swansea, and 39-year-old Christopher Prince, from Sycamore Close, Feltham, London, all denied the alleged offence at Newport Magistrates’ Court yesterday.

Kelly Minio-Paluello, 33, from Victoria Road, Glasgow, is charged with the same offence but did not appear in court.

The alleged offences took place at Barclays Bank in Commercial Street in Newport on September 5, while a number of demonstrations were held across the city during the two-day meeting of world leaders.

The charges allege the defendants failed to leave the land knowing that a direction had been given by police under section 69 (1) of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994.

The trio and Minio-Paluello were bailed on condition they do not enter any Barclay’s Bank premises in England and Wales.

The case against them was adjourned until November 10. The Nato Summit 2014, held at the Celtic Manor Resort, saw 60 world leaders from 28 member countries descend on Newport to discuss emerging international threats.

The event saw one of the largest police operations ever held in Wales, with an unprecedented level of security, as United States president Barack Obama and other leading political figures visited. Gwent Police had expected more than 20,000 activists from around the world to take part in demonstrations against the Nato Summit, but the figure was much less in reality.

A week-long peace camp and a counter summit were among some of the events held at the beginning of this month in response to the summit, as well as several protest marches along the streets of both Newport and Cardiff.

Anti-Nato campaigners claim it is a war organisation that encourages the use of military actions.