Number 10 defends bill to crack down on noisy protests

Number 10 has defended a bill designed to crack down on noisy protests after a series of defeats in the House of Lords.

Home Secretary Priti Patel accused some peers of “choosing to defend vandals and thugs” after they voted down key measures in the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts bill – and claimed activists from groups like Extinction Rebellion were intent on “bringing the country to a standstill”.