A WOMAN who was accused of breaking lockdown rules by organising anti-lockdown protests during the pandemic had her charges dropped due to "insufficient evidence".

Louise Creffield, of Reading Road in Brighton, pleaded not guilty to two charges for breaching Covid-19 rules in relation to the Coronavirus Act 2020 at Brighton Magistrates’ Court last Tuesday, April 5.

The 35-year-old was accused of not filling out a risk assessment for two anti-lockdown protests for a group called Save Our Rights UK.

The two protests were in Brighton on November 7 and December 12, 2020.

Both charges were withdrawn due to the prosecution having "insufficient evidence to secure a conviction".

The Argus: Louise Creffield outside New Scotland Yard in LondonLouise Creffield outside New Scotland Yard in London

She was accused of not “taking all reasonable steps to limit the risk of transmission of coronavirus” in the Coronavirus Act 2020 by not complying with “a health and safety risk assessment”.

Creffield has previously been found guilty on two counts of holding a gathering of more than 50 people on May 29 and June 26 last year in London.

At the time, the country was under level three lockdown restrictions, which meant no more than 30 people could meet at once.

Creffield, who is founder of a group called Save Our Rights UK, was found to have held gatherings in Hyde Park and Parliament Square in May, before returning for a different protest in Parliament Square in June 2021.

She was fined £10,000 for each offence, and ordered to pay a surcharge of £190 and costs of £500 to the Crown Prosecution Service.

In total, Creffield has been ordered to pay £20,690. The payments will be made in instalments of £10 to be paid every two weeks.

A Sussex Police spokesman said: "The charges were withdrawn due to insufficient evidence to secure a conviction."