AS lorries rumbled up a remote country lane, a group of determined campaigners moved into action.

It was not the style of anti-fracking protests many would expect.

While some activists shuffled along the road in front of lorries on their bottoms, others were serving tea and cake village fete-style at the gates to the gas well between Great Habton and Kirby Misperton, near Flamingo Land theme park.

By the end of the second day of active protest there had been four arrests.

Men aged 54, 53 and 23-years-old were taken away by police on suspicion of wilful obstruction of a highway. The 53-year-old man was also arrested for allegedly having an article with intent to destroy or damage property.

A woman was arrested on suspicion of obstructing a person engaged in lawful activity, and possessing a bladed article in a public place.

Two men and one woman were arrested for “wilful obstruction of a highway”, while the fourth was arrested on suspicion of obstructing a person engaged in lawful activity, and possessing a bladed article in a public place.

The protesters appeared unfazed by the arrests of three people the previous day, who had been without charge.

After years of meetings and rallies, the focus of the protests against fracking in North Yorkshire has moved to the gates by gas production firm Third Energy’s KM8 well, where vehicles are arriving in preparation for the start of hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, at the site.

As the first lorries began arriving, delivering a wheel-washing facility for trucks and a water tank, campaigners sat in front of the gates to the site and “slow walking” along Great Habton Road in front of the lorries.

One of the local protesters, Ian Conlon, said most of the protesters were local and it was their first experience of taking direct action.

He added: “People wish to be involved in different ways. Some people choose to come and just watch, some people choose to sit in front of the gates; everybody has a choice and everyone is welcomed with tea and cakes.”

They also included Jackie and Jim Brooks, from the nearby village of Little Barugh, who set up a table at the gates to the fracking well to serve tea, coffee, biscuits and cakes to the protesters.

“We’ve never done anything like this before,” said Mrs Brooks. “We’ve come here with tea to support the protesters and anyone who stands with them. Serving tea does bring a nice element to it.”

Half-way through the morning, police informed protesters sat outside the gates that vehicles would be arriving and they could stage a 20-minute “slow walking” protest. Some of the protesters responded by calling for 20 minutes each as they were individually protesting.

Superintendent Lindsey Robson, of North Yorkshire Police, said: “We would rather talk to people and persuade them to move, than have to make arrests.”

The protesters, who had earlier moved along the route to the well on their bottoms to impede the lorries progress, then took to the road, walking in front of the vehicles until police said their permitted time was up. They were then were held back on the grass verges by police to allow traffic through.

Lisa Holden, an art therapist from near Malton, said: “We perhaps won’t be able to stop the lorries with our protests, but we can make people aware of what is happening.”