A pro-life volunteer has been arrested by UK police for silently standing in a public area near an abortion clinic. It is not the first time this has happened to Isabel Vaughan-Spruce under draconian measures against any form of pro-life activity, even silent vigils, that takes place near abortion facilities. The same kind of law exists in Ireland.

Video footage shows a West Midlands Police officer demand that Ms Vaughan-Spruce leave a public area because of what she is known to believe – despite her simply standing alone, praying silently, without undertaking any actions.

The footage shows the police officer explain that he believes Isabel’s “mere presence” may constitute “harassment, alarm and distress”, given that she is known to have pro-life beliefs and belong to a pro-life organisation. He thus concluded that she was breaching the rules of the “buffer zone” – an area within 150m of an abortion facility.

The incident took place despite West Midlands Police previously issuing an apology and a payout of £13,000 for breaching Vaughan-Spruce’s human rights on two prior occasions where they arrested her for praying silently in the same “buffer zone”.