A crane, which it had been hoped would assist in the recovery of a tunnel boring machine, which is stuck on jack-knifed truck at Glenamoy crossroads, had to turn back at Ballinaboy Bridge yesterday evening after it was blocked by protests.

A spokesperson for Shell told Midwest News this morning that the company was bringing the crane to the gas terminal from another location in the country, hoping that it could be used in the recovery operation but it was blocked for a number of hours by protesters at Ballanaboy Bridge and had to turn back.

Shell says it is disappointed but the company is continuing to look at options for removing the machine from the truck. They had hoped that the crane was one of those options. However the company says the fact that it was prevented from reaching Glenamoy crossroads has caused further disruption.

According to this morning’s Irish Times Rossport Farmer Willie Corduff was arrested yesterday afternoon at the scene of the jack-knifed Shell lorry at an isolated crossroads in north Co Mayo.

Mr Corduff is one of five men who were jailed for 94 days in 2005 in relation to their opposition to Shell’s construction of a pipeline and terminal in the area.

Gardai did confirm to Midwest News yesterday evening that one man had been arrested yesterday in connection with public order offences close to the Glenamoy crossroads.

The lorry, which is carrying a section of the giant tunnel-boring machine, has been stuck at the Glenamoy crossroads since early Monday morning.

A spokesman for Mayo County Council said local authority experts and Shell personnel were continuing to examine their options for removing the 170-tonne lorry and its load from the roadside.

Partial access was restored on the roadway yesterday after Mayo County Council carried out emergency works and created a temporary road.  In an update to Midwest News yesterday evening, Mayo County Council said efforts were continuing to move the truck and it is expected that that will happen in the next 24 hours.