Security questions were raised today over how two Just Stop Oil activists managed to get into a private area of Stansted Airport and spray orange paint over two planes.

Jennifer Kowalski, 28, and Cole Macdonald, 22, were arrested on suspicion of criminal damage after gaining access to the airfield and damaging the private jets.

Just Stop Oil said pop star Taylor Swift’s jet had landed at Stansted only hours before, but MailOnline can confirm that her plane was not one of the two targeted.

Swift is believed to have chartered the jet to take her mother Andrea and father Scott to London for her shows at Wembley Stadium from tomorrow until Sunday.

It touched down at about 11pm last night along with an array of goods including a case of wine, before the luggage was transferred into a convoy of seven vehicles.

Just Stop Oil later confirmed that its activists used a website which tracks the location of commercial planes and private jets to confirm that Swift’s was there.

Aviation expert Julian Bray told MailOnline this afternoon that because the protesters were entering a protected airport area, they could be prosecuted under the Air Navigation Laws with intent to danger an aircraft, rather than just criminal damage.

He continued: 'Harrods Aviation and others who control the private terminal need to rethink security as clearly this is lacking. Essex Police also need to raise their game as they seemed to be unaware of the serious security breach.

  • lemmus@lemmy.world
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    7 days ago

    Bringing attention to the abomination of private jets should not be considered a crime.

  • fishos@lemmy.world
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    7 days ago

    So now these chucklefucks are giving justification to not being able to track private aircraft. These absolute morons.

  • LovstuhagenOPM
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    7 days ago

    My personal take: I never felt like Just Stop Oil or other environmentalists were doing something great when they were vandalizing art in museums. I respect that it was fixable but I also felt like, “ehh, not my thing,” but this…

    LOL, I love this.

    • doctortofu@reddthat.com
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      7 days ago

      Exactly - this is the kind of protest and disruption that I can get behind. It sends a message, gets publicity AND is actually related to the stated goals of the organization, unlike vandalizing museums or ancient monoliths.

      • The Octonaut@mander.xyz
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        7 days ago

        You mean megaliths. Stonehenge would be shit if it was one stone.

        And cornstarch is not vandalism. Pouring concrete and gravel on ancient megaliths is vandalism.