Dr Daniel Emlyn-Jones was annoyed to discover he could not walk in at Redbridge recycling centre in Old Abingdon Road, Oxford, to recycle some old wooden pallets.

Now he is urging Oxfordshire County Council to create a designated pathway for pedestrians as only cars and bikes can use the centres at the moment.

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Dr Emlyn-Jones, who lives in Oxford, said: “Since I do not own a car and my rubbish is ineligible for bulky waste collection, I was all set to walk to Redbridge recycling centre the other day, rubbish in a trolley, when I discovered that pedestrians are banned from the place.

“Bicycles fine, cars fine, pedestrians no. This edict seems especially bizarre since the centre is full of people milling around on foot in order to put their rubbish in the appropriate skip.

“Oxford is rightly discouraging car use in increasingly elaborate ways, so why on earth are pedestrian recyclers such as myself being excluded like this?

“Fortunately a neighbour is helping me, but such restrictions on rubbish disposal will simply drive people to illegal rubbish collection companies which fly-tip and create illegal garbage mountains such as the one in Kidlington.”

Dr Daniel Emlyn-Jones (Image: Andy Ffrench)

Dr Emlyn-Jones added: “How much effort would it take to create a designated pathway for pedestrians?

“The county council has introduced LTNs (Low Traffic Neighbourhoods) and the congestion charge. It should be doing more to encourage pedestrians.”

Redbridge recycling centre in Oxford (Image: Oxfordshire County Council)

A county council spokesman said: “Pedestrians are not permitted to enter any of Oxfordshire’s waste and recycling centres. There are no segregated walkways to enable pedestrians to enter and exit the sites safely.

“Cyclists can use the site, and you can visit with a bike trailer too.

“Some districts provide recycling containers, such as those located in supermarket car parks or community centres. These often collect similar items to household waste recycling centres and are often more easily accessible on foot.

“Some shops also offer collection points for more specific items like printer cartridges, Brita filters, and some lightbulbs.”

The county council operates seven household waste recycling centres including Redbridge household waste recycling centre, next to Redbridge park-and-ride in Oxford.

The centre is expected to close for three months this summer for safety work.

A spokesperson for the county council said earlier: “Redbridge HWRC will close during the summer for a period of three months. The exact date of closure will be confirmed as soon as possible.  

“The safety works are primarily for ground stabilisation. This will involve the installation of corrugated steel sheet piling along the east and west of the site embankments, along with some other concrete repair works.”

Samuel Corner told his trial he brought the tool down on Sergeant Kate Evans after he heard “someone screaming” and feared they were being injured by security guards during a raid at Israel-based defence firm Elbit Systems’ site near Bristol on August 6, 2024.

On Thursday, Woolwich Crown Court heard Corner had hit the officer after being sprayed with Pava spray, without shouting a warning and the officer had not been able to see him coming.

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When asked if he thought striking Sgt Evans was over the top, the 23-year-old admitted it would have been had he considered the consequences.

Of the officer, prosecutor Deanna Heer KC asked the defendant: “She posed no threat to you at all, did she?”

“Well no, not to me,” Corner said.

Supporters outside Woolwich Crown Court, London, where Charlotte Head, Samuel Corner, Leona Kamio, Katema Rajwani and Zoe Rogers are facing a retrial (Image: Yui Mok)

The prosecutor continued: “Did you hit her because you thought she was a security guard and she was complicit with Elbit?”

“No,” he replied.

“Did you think, Mr Corner, that she was fair game?” she asked.

“No,” the defendant responded.

The prosecutor asked: “Do you agree that, whatever you may have thought, it was completely unreasonable to hit Sgt Evans with a sledgehammer?”

“I mean it seemed reasonable to do something and I had to act quickly,” Corner responded.

“Do you think it was completely unreasonable, over the top, to hit Sgt Evans on the back with a sledgehammer?” Ms Heer asked.

“Yes, if I’d thought about what that was going to do, then yes,” the defendant said.

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Tom Wainwright, defending, asked: “The prosecution’s case is that your actions were unreasonable, what do you say to that?”

“I disagree,” Corner replied.

Jurors have heard Corner believed one of his female friends was being “seriously hurt” and he had acted to “protect” her.

The defendant said he now accepted Sgt Evans was not injuring anyone before he struck her.

Corner previously told the court he “would never want to seriously hurt anyone”, and denied it was part of a plan to use violence against people during the raid.

At an earlier hearing, Sgt Evans told jurors she believed her spine could have been “shattered” and feared she may have been “paralysed” after being hit by the activist.

Alongside Corner, Charlotte Head, 30, Leona Kamio, 30, Fatema Rajwani, 21, Zoe Rogers, 22, and Jordan Devlin, 31, are on trial accused of criminal damage over the incident.

Leona Kamio outside Woolwich Crown Court, London, where she is facing a retrial, along with fellow activists (Image: Yui Mok)

Corner, a former linguistics and philosophy student at Oxford University, denies further charge of causing grievous bodily harm with intent to Sgt Evans.

The trial has heard the defendants crashed into shutters outside the factory in a prison van, which was driven by Head and used “as a battering ram”.

Zoe Rogers arriving at Woolwich Crown Court, London, where she is facing a retrial along with fellow activists (Image: Yui Mok)

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Once inside, they used sledgehammers and crowbars to destroy computers, drones and other equipment, and sprayed the walls and floor with red paint using fire extinguishers, the court heard.

On Thursday, the public gallery was almost full with supporters of the defendants, some of whom wore keffiyeh scarves.

The defendants deny all charges and the trial continues.

Jake Felton, of West Street, Leighton Buzzzard, appeared at Oxford Crown Court on Thursday, April 23.

The 26-year-old is charged with one count of arson and one count of racially aggravated harassment at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Headington on November 1, 2024.

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According to the court record, he set fire to some scaffolding at the hospital.

Felton pleaded guilty to the offences.

Judge Ian Pringle KC ordered a pre-sentence report ahead of Felton’s sentencing date of Thursday, May 28.

He was released on unconditional bail.

Judge Pringle said: “I’m going to adjourn your case for sentence. This is so a pre-sentence report can be ordered about you.

“It is in your interest to co-operate with the author of that report.”