Four protestors will remain in prison over Christmas after appearing in court accused of causing damage worth more than £500,000 at a factory in a rural Powys town which shut down a secondary school and major trunk road.

Susan Bagshaw, aged 65, of Clawdd Helyg, Commins Coch, Morwenna Grey, aged 41, of Penrallt Street, Machynlleth, Ruth Hogg, aged 39, of Stanley Road, Aberystwyth, and Tristan Dixon, aged 34, of Osprey Drive, Netherton, Huddersfield, were arrested following the break-in at Labtech in Presteigne as part of a protest by political group Palestine Action.

All four will remain in custody charged with conspiring to cause damage and conspiring to commit burglary until they appear at Mold Crown Court on January 6, 2023. The defendants did not enter pleas, but their solicitors indicated that they would be entering not guilty pleas to the offences.

Protestors were reportedly found masked and dressed in overalls with tools, hammers, angle grinder, smoke bombs and a fire extinguisher containing red paint during the incident on Friday.

It is alleged that more than 25 windows had been broken, as were computers and monitors, and two large machines worth more than £500,000.

An angle grinder was said to have been used to cut through to the roof.

A number of staff were said to have been present at the scene, which left the building covered in red paint.

The business remained closed in the aftermath of the protest.

Solicitors for the protestors stated that the protest was a “peaceful, well-thought through targeted action to get their message across”.

Protest group Palestine Action claimed that the factory makes parts that support the Israeli military, and responded to the four being remanded by calling for their release and saying it "vows to continue to disrupt the war machine until Palestinians are also free”.