Three teenagers go to High Court to fight 'kettling'

The contentious police tactic of "kettling" demonstrators is to face a series of legal challenges that could result in it being outlawed – starting with a case tomorrow brought by three teenagers.

Civil liberties groups are backing attempts by students and schoolchildren to ban the practice of holding large numbers of protesters in confined spaces for several hours.

The Metropolitan Police has often used kettling, most recently in marches against plans to increase university tuition fees. Critics condemn the practice as depriving legitimate, law-abiding protesters both of their liberty and of their freedom of expression.

Challenges are being mounted both in this country and at the European Court of Human Rights, i can disclose.

The first will come when three teenagers from north London go to the High Court tomorrow to press for a judicial review of the use of kettling.

Adam Castle, 16, his sister Rosie, 15, and Sam Eaton, 16, were among 10 friends caught in a "kettle" for eight hours in London's Whitehall during a tuition fees march on 24 November.

The teenagers' solicitor, Michael Oswald, is challenging the use of kettling under provisions in the European Convention on Human Rights guaranteeing personal liberty and security.

Mr Oswald said: "They were met by oppressive tactics on the part of the police, with the sad result that many of those young people won't be doing anything similar in the future."

Civil liberties organisation Liberty is also preparing a legal challenge to the tactic following the anti-tuition fee protests. The believes the use of kettling has changed the atmosphere on legitimate protests, stoking up tensions between protesters and police.

It is pursuing the case of two girls – aged 15 and 17 – who were caught up in the turbulent events of 24 November. The younger girl broke her foot when she attempted to leave the kettle.

The Metropolitan Police said it welcomed the court action as a chance to clarify the law over the containment of protesters.

Kettling will be examined in the European Court of Human Rights in September. It centres on Lois Austin, held with 3,000 people for seven hours in a cordon at an anti-globalisation march in London in 2001