Police were accused of bowing to the mob last night as campaigners brought drilling at a potential fracking site to a halt. Hardcore activists celebrated as energy bosses announced they would ‘scale back’ operations in Balcombe on the advice of the police. The controversial decision came as senior officers feared an influx of another 1,000 protesters. They warned the drilling company they could not guarantee the security of the West Sussex site. The move provoked outrage from business, industry groups and MPs who said that – regardless of the fracking debate – the police decision set a dangerous precedent for other lawful activities. --Chris Greenwood and Nick McDermott, Daily Mail, 17 August 2013