Eco-mob block M25 for FOURTH day in a row: Drivers fury as Just Stop Oil activist climbs overhead…

Eco-zealots have begun another day of protests causing chaos on the M25 motorway.

The Just Stop Oil campaigners – who want an end to new fossil fuel use – have repeatedly targeted ganties on the circular stretch.

This morning has proved no exception with the Met Police announcing they were dealing with a person on a gantry near junction 25.

Surrey officers are also attending junctions 8 and 9 in Surrey to deal with protests.

An activist puts up a banner reading ‘Just Stop Oil’ atop an electronic traffic sign along M25 this morning, unstopped by police

Just Stop Oil supporter Tom Gardener climbed onto a motorway gantry on the M25 for the fourth day in a row as part of their campaign to demand that the government halts all new oil and gas licences and consents

Just Stop Oil, an environmental activist group, has staged a series of protests across London, with police unable to stop them

This is the fourth time in as many days the protesters have targeted those two junctions.

It is not clear how they have managed to evade police yet again. 

Surrey Police said officers are dealing with activists who climbed a gantry at Junction 8 of the UK’s busiest motorway.

The road has been closed in both directions while officers climb the gantry.

The chaos prompted parts of the M25 to be shut as police attempted to deal with the problem

This protester – whose identity is currently unknown – posted a video from one of the gantries

Essex Police said it arrested a woman attempting to climb a gantry around 1.5 miles from Junction 28 clockwise.

The force said: ‘One lane was closed for a short time as officers responded to the situation.’

It is particularly embarassing for police, coming the day after they were told to ‘stop humouring’ eco activists by Suella Braverman.

The Home Secretary accused officers of letting protests get out of control because of their ‘reluctance’ to tackle ‘criminal disruption’.

Her demand came after Just Stop Oil activists brought chaos to the M25, leading to a crash in which a constable was injured.

She suggested that members of the public were taking the law into their own hands because they had lost faith in the police.

 But her remarks drew a sharp response from Scotland Yard chief Sir Mark Rowley, who said: ‘We can’t take snipers to people who are climbing the gantries.’

Supporters of Animal Rebellion were among those taking action to support Just Stop Oil’s demands.

Tom Gardener, a systems engineer from Nottingham and supporter of Animal Rebellion, amongst those disrupting the M25 this morning said: ‘We continue to see absolute neglect and lack of leadership from those who hold power in this country. 

‘Rishi Sunak, Suella Braverman, and the rest of the Government, people across this country are calling on you to do what is right and halt all new oil and gas licenses and invest in renewables and a plant-based future.

‘Animal Rebellion is acting in solidarity with Just Stop Oil once more because we cannot afford to let destructive and outdated industries lead us to ruin when there are cheaper, plentiful and sustainable alternatives’ 

There was also a report on social media of a protest between Junctions 15 and 16, near Heathrow Airport. 

Just Stop Oil said its supporters climbed gantries ‘in multiple locations’ from 6.30am on Thursday.

Phoebie Plummer, a 21-year-old student from London, said: ‘I understand people must be frustrated with us, and rightly so, but we have to disrupt daily life because we are hurtling towards climate catastrophe, yet the Government continues to betray me, my generation and people in the global South by issuing new oil licences.’

A police officer was injured during Wednesday’s protests.

Essex Police said there was a collision involving the police motorcyclist and two lorries during a rolling roadblock.

Chief Constable BJ Harrington warned it is ‘only a matter of time’ before someone is killed during a Just Stop Oil protest.