Climate activists tried to hijack a meeting attended by hundreds of locals at a Norfolk Broads village hall, an MP has claimed.
Protesters from climate activism groups Just Stop Oil and Extinction Rebellion infiltrated a meeting on flooding called by North Norfolk MP Duncan Baker in Hickling.
Mr Baker said the police helped to suppress the group of protesters, believed to be from Norwich and who he labelled as "fanatics".
READ MORE: Hundreds attend flooding crisis meeting at Norfolk Broads village
"The meeting was to help residents with serious problems and concerns about their issues regarding flooding," Mr Baker said.
"We made it quite clear at the start that it was not a political meeting for climate change protesters or Just Stop Oil fanatics.
"For the protesters who turned up to spoil the meeting, they were given short shrift.
"I am very grateful for the police in their actions to help us and have had nothing but positive comments that we dealt with the protesters so well.
"We believe about four Just Stop Oil and Extinction Rebellion protestors organised themselves into the crowd.
"They didn’t spoil the meeting at all."
Just Stop Oil posted a video on social media accusing someone snatching microphones from them during meeting, which was held on Friday night.
Microphone snatched from people at a public meeting in Hickling as homes are flooded and sewage systems overwhelmed.
— Just Stop Oil (@JustStop_Oil) February 5, 2024
Tory MP @duncancbaker doesn't want you to know the truth about his support for new oil and gas, which is driving extreme weather events and flooding. pic.twitter.com/IPCrc0p5QY
One person asked before the microphone was taken off him: "Is it [flooding] likely to happen more frequently because of climate change?
"Would the panel recommend people in areas subject to flooding to avoid Conservative flood defence cuts and climate changing action like oil drilling in the North Sea?"
READ MORE: Bursting on the Broads! Villagers forced by floods to use public loos for TWO MONTHS
It comes as Mr Baker voted for the government's Offshore Petroleum Licensing Bill last month.
The legislation will require the industry regulator to run annual applications for new offshore oil and gas licences.
Another person, who also had the mic taken off her, said: "The elephant in the room here seems to be climate change.
"Everything has changed unfortunately, and it really doesn't help that our MP is still voting for fracking, he's voting for new oil and gas licences..."
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