A WOMAN convicted of terrorism offences for her part in stopping a deportation flight says she will continue to fight.

Lyndsay Burtonshaw is a member of Stansted 15, a group who locked themselves around a Boeing 767 bound for Ghana, Sierra Leone and Nigeria in March 2017.

The group was convicted last week at Chelmsford Crown Court. After the verdict, supporters held demonstrations in London, Chelmsford and Brighton denouncing the court’s decision.

They will be sentenced on February 4.

The 28-year-old, who lives in Brighton and works as a disability support worker, slammed the court’s verdict as “inhumane”.

Lyndsay said: “We thought we would be convicted of trespassing but we were shocked we were convicted of terror-related crimes. The verdict is clearly an attempt to discourage peaceful protesting.

“Amnesty International has taken up our case and our attorneys have been amazing.

"We will put in an appeal after the sentencing. I feel very confident.

"If we don’t fight back, it will diminish the meaning of democracy and peaceful protesting.”

Read more: Stansted 15's Brighton member leads protest against court verdict

Lyndsay said she would not have been able to live with herself if she did not take part in stopping the flight.

She said: “I learnt one lesbian Nigerian woman would be deported to her country and her ex-husband had said he would kill her. She might also face gang lynching or 14 years’ prison.

“A man from Ghana said he would kill himself if he was deported.

"I felt I had to do something because these were real people, not just statistics - they could die.

"I felt nervous before we went to Stansted Airport because people’s lives were at stake.

“We held a peaceful demonstration to stop a flight which was deporting 60 people.

“No one got hurt in the protest. We were stopping the Home Office from illegally deporting people.

“Eleven people remained in the UK, but we don’t know what happened to the rest.

"Two people were referred to the National Referral Mechanism. What we did was worth it because we managed to save some people and raise awareness about the plight of asylum seekers.”

How Lyndsay started volunteering to help asylum seekers

“In 2011 I moved from Yorkshire to Brighton to study international studies and development at Sussex University.

“I first got involved through my best friend who was volunteering at Gatwick detention centre.

"She said there was one man whose hands were so mutilated, yet he was forced to live in inhumane conditions.”

The stories of the endless challenges asylum seekers face inspired Lyndsay to fight their corner.

She said: “I went with my friend to Yarlswood Detention Centre and took part in a demo in 2014.

WThe women in there went on hunger strike over the horrible conditions.”

Lyndsay stayed in London and worked with a charity to help the homeless.

She got to know the African Rainbow Family which supports LGBTQ refugees and learnt about the plight of those 60 people who were on the flight.