Teledyne premises in Shipley are now a 'prohibited place'

Teledyne Defence & Space, at Acorn Park on Otley Road in Shipley, has been targeted by several pro-Palestine protests - including one on Wednesday - amid an escalation in tensions in the Middle East. 

In a recent court case involving Palestine Action activists, Teledyne was described as a provider of components for the defence and aerospace industries.

The court heard it was targeted by the group due to those components being used in the manufacture of weapons used by the British Army, by NATO forces, and through British arms export licences issued by the British government, for weapons purchased by countries such as Ukraine and Israel.

A sign at the entrance to the premises states: “Prohibited Place: This is a prohibited place within the meaning of the National Security Act 2023.

“Unauthorised entry, taking of photographs, videos or other recordings in person or remotely, or any actions in this vicinity prejudicial to site security may lead to arrest and prosecution.”

In a policy paper outlining the act, the Home Office says: “The Bill creates a regime that captures harmful activity in and around sites designated as prohibited places – these are the United Kingdom’s most sensitive sites.

“The provisions introduce a suite of tools and measures to protect, and capture harmful activity at, prohibited places and ensure that modern methods of unlawfully entering and inspecting these sites are captured (such as through the use of unmanned devices).

“Should it be necessary, further sites vulnerable to state threat activity can be designated as prohibited places in the future.”

It adds: “Prohibited places are inherently sensitive sites that are likely to be the target of state threat activity or other types of threats that do not have a state link. Access to such sites could be a precursor to espionage offences or sabotage.

“The Bill provides new offences and police powers to deter, capture and prosecute harmful activity in and around prohibited places.

“It covers harmful activity conducted through different vectors including: physically entering a site in person, causing unmanned devices/vehicles to enter or inspect these sites remotely and cyber methods to access the site electronically.”

It says "there are are powers that the police can exercise to protect a prohibited place and include ordering a person to cease their activity or move away from the site or arranging for a vehicle to be removed" and: "A constable must reasonably believe the use of these powers at that location and at that time is necessary to protect the safety or interests of the UK."