Far-right activist Tommy Robinson has arrived at court for trial after he was charged under the Terrorism Act.
Flanked by bodyguards, the 42-year-old whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, was mobbed by photographers and cheered on by a handful of supporters before heading into Westminster Magistrates’ Court.
Robinson sat in the glass-fronted dock wearing a waistcoat and tie as he waited for his trial to begin.
He was charged after an incident at the Channel Tunnel in Folkestone on July 28 2024, where he was accused of “frustration” of police counter-terrorism powers.
Under Schedule 7 of the Terrorism Act, police are allowed to stop anyone passing through a UK port “to determine whether they may be involved or concerned in the commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism”.
The person who is detained can be held for up to six hours, is legally obliged to answer questions and must provide the password or Pin for electronic devices, or be held to have committed a criminal offence if they refuse.
If found guilty, Robinson could be jailed for up to three months and/or receive a £2,500 fine.
