Two Just Stop Oil protesters have appeared in court accused of damaging two jets that were sprayed with orange paint at Stansted Airport.

The pair are said to have used angle grinders to break through an airport fence at around 5am on June 20, before using fire extinguishers filled with paint.

Prosecutors allege that the cost of cleaning up the paint was £52,000, though an earlier hearing was told that the full cost including the damage to the fence and the amount needed to fund extra security was not yet known.

Jennifer Kowalski, 28, of Dumbarton in Scotland, and Cole Macdonald, 22, of Brighton, appeared before Chelmsford Crown Court on Monday.

The defendants, who are on conditional bail, were not asked to enter pleas to charges and the case was adjourned until August 15.

They indicated at an earlier hearing at Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court pleas of not guilty to causing criminal damage and interfering with national infrastructure.

Kowalski and Macdonald are also both charged with aggravated trespass, though they have not been asked to indicate their pleas to this.

Judge Christopher Morgan, addressing Kowalski and Macdonald on Monday, said: “Please return to this court on August 15 – I anticipate that you will.

“If you enter on that occasion acceptable guilty pleas then your credit is preserved.”

They were both bailed until the next court hearing.