Two Welsh anti-abortion campaigners accused of insulting passers-by by displaying a large poster of an aborted foetus have been cleared of all charges.
ProLife Alliance activists Ms Fiona Pinto (23), and Mr Joseph Biddulph (52), now plan to sue Gwent Police for false imprisonment. The pair were arrested in Newport in April during a Welsh Assembly election campaign.
Ms Pinto, described during the two-day trial at Abergavenny Magistrates Court as the "darling of the ProLife Alliance" and Mr Biddulph denied displaying a sign with the intention of insulting people.
Alternative charges of disorderly behaviour were withdrawn yesterday after legal argument.
Campaigners calling for their acquittal openly displayed a copy of the poster outside the court during proceedings.
Magistrates heard yesterday that Ms Pinto, an Oxford University graduate from Hertfordshire, was led away in tears after being arrested by police outside a Boots store on April 24th.
Mr Biddulph, of Pontypridd, told the court today the arrest had been so low-key he was unaware it had happened until he was formally charged later at the police station.
Both denied using the 4ft by 2ft poster to insult passers-by. "All I wanted to achieve was a good day of campaigning with the chance of dialogue with the public," he said.