A solicitor has received a full apology and damages from Hampshire Police after she was unlawfully arrested at an anti-motorway demonstration at Twyford Down.
Kathryn Tulip, 37, a solicitor at the Kilburn, London, law firm Daniel and Harris, was awarded £8,000 by Winchester County Court after the police admitted illegal arrest and false imprisonment.
Tulip was a trainee in May 1993 when she attended a protest against the controversial M3 motorway extension through Twyford Down.
She was arrested for obstructing a policeman and held in custody for nine hours. The charge was later dropped.
Tim Pattinson, counsel for Tulip, said she suffered stress and insomnia after the arrest because she feared it would jeopardise her career.
Tulip is one of dozens of protesters who were arrested during the summer of 1993 and are now pursuing civil claims against the police through law firm Irwin Mitchell.
After the hearing, Tulip said: “I feel it was important for me to bring the case because the police were wrong and this was a way of clearly demonstrating that.”
