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Three women charged under Terrorism Act after driving van into fence of defence factory

Three women have been charged under the Terrorism Act after a van was driven into the fence of a defence factory in Edinburgh.
Three women have been charged under the Terrorism Act after a van was driven into the fence of a defence factory in Edinburgh. Picture: Alamy

By Flaminia Luck

Three women have been charged under the Terrorism Act after pro-Palestinian protestors drove a van into the fence of a defence factory in Edinburgh.

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It happened on Tuesday at the Leonardo UK facility in the Scottish capital as campaigners claim it supplies arms to Israel - a claim the company denies.

The trio aged 31, 34 and 42 are due to appear at Edinburgh Sheriff Court on Monday.

Police Scotland said their counter-terrorism unit was leading the investigation and enquiries were ongoing.

The force also issued an appeal for information to trace the movements of two vehicles - one was a blue Ford Transit van which was seen around Gorgie Road on Monday and Tuesday prior to the incident, while the other was a white Honda CR-Z which was found in a car park on Gorgie Road after the incident.

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Police Scotland said their counter-terrorism unit was leading the investigation into an incident which saw a van being driven into the fence of a defence factory in Edinburgh.
Police Scotland said their counter-terrorism unit was leading the investigation into an incident which saw a van being driven into the fence of a defence factory in Edinburgh. Picture: Alamy

Police have asked people to get in touch by calling 101 if they have any information, quoting reference number 0416 of July 15.

Following the incident on Tuesday, a group called Shut Down Leonardo said the factory made laser targeting systems for Israel’s F-35 fighter jets.

Leonardo has said it does not supply equipment directly to Israel and that its main customer is the UK Armed Forces.