Rooftop Heathrow protesters charged

Three protesters who staged a rooftop protest at the Houses of Parliament to demonstrate against Heathrow's expansion have been charged with trespass, police said late on Friday.

But a parliamentary worker, who was accused of helping protesters stage the climate change protest, will not face charges, a Scotland Yard spokesman confirmed to Reuters.

The unnamed 26-year-old, who had worked for at least one MP and one peer, was arrested on suspicion of aiding and abetting the "Plane Stupid group" members to breach Westminster security.

Late on Friday the members were charged with trespass under the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005, police said.

Graham Thompson, 34, from Stamford Hill, Tamsin Omond, 23, from Belsize Park, both in north London and Olivia Chessell, 20, from Cambridge will face Westminster Magistrates' Court later this month, police said in a statement.

"On Wednesday 27th February 2008 at Westminster SW1A as a trespasser entered or were on a protected site which was a designated site, namely The Palace of Westminster, contrary to Section 128 of the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005," police said.

In February, the group, who are on bail, scaled the roof of parliament to mark the end of public consultation on a third runway.

The three men and two women spent around two hours on the Commons roof after hanging banners down the side of the building.

The other unnamed group members are on police bail pending further inquiries.