He became a nationally known figure after spending a week in a complex series of tunnels dug in the path of a new extension to the A30 road in Fairmile, Devon, resisting attempts at eviction by police. Several people took part in the protest, but Swampy was the last one evicted. Swampy was originally from Newbury, Berkshire, the site of the protest over the Newbury bypass in 1996. Swampy's subsequent fame included an appearance on the BBC comedy current affairs quiz Have I Got News for You, on 18 April 1997, when he briefly became the show's youngest ever panelist. In 1997, he took part in another tunnel protest intended to prevent the building of a second runway at Manchester Airport,[1] and has also been involved with the Trident nuclear submarine protest camp at Faslane, Scotland. In 2006, Swampy was living with his partner and their three children in a yurt, a dome-shaped tent in 'Tipi Valley',a remote New Age commune at Cwmdu near Llandeilo in West Wales. In 2007 the Sunday Mirror newspaper reported that he was taking part in the climate change protests at Heathrow Airport. Swampy's presence on the protesters' site was dependent on his keeping a low profile, so his celebrity status would not detract from the protest.

• published: 23 Aug 2011
• views: 3006
• author: swampy3666