Power station chimney
Didcot
4 November 2006
At 198 metres, Didcot power station's chimney is the tallest structure in Oxfordshire, and one of the tallest chimneys in the UK. There are 1052 steps inside the chimney leading to the top.
On 2 November 2006, protesters from Greenpeace broke into the power station in an attempt to shut it down. Some of the protestors climbed the chimney and used abseiling equipment to paint "Blair's legacy" down the side, in reference to their claim that the Prime Minister has not done enough to fight climate change. Tony Blair was actually in the area that day visiting Diamond synchrotron, although Greenpeace claim that was a coincidence.
The following day, the power station's owners, npower, were granted a High Court injunction, ordering Greenpeace to leave. The protesters were swiftly arrested on suspicion of aggravated trespass and criminal damage, although health and safety rules make it unlikely their punishment will be to clean up their graffiti.