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M25 protest: Eco yobs’ fresh bid to block motorway foiled with Sun’s help as police make 16 arrests
ECO-yobs attempted to blocked the M25 again this morning - but had their fresh bid foiled after The Sun helped police yesterday.
Cops have arrested 16 protesters after the mob caused travel chaos for tens of thousands by targeting the Dartford Tunnel and four other junctions.
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Eight people now charged for intentionally or recklessly causing a public nuisance.
The busy Dartford tunnel and two lanes had been shut at Junction 31 - causing havoc at Lakeside during rush hour.
Commuters were trapped in gridlock traffic with delays of at least an hour and five miles of congestion on the approach to the tunnel.
Essex police were also forced to shut Junction 27 where another yob had scaled the gantry.
Meanwhile, Hertfordshire Police said they were responding to a protest at junction 20 of the M25 near Kings Langley and urged motorists to seek alternative routes.
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And Surrey Police said two protesters had climbed motorway gantries between junctions 8 and 9 and junctions 12 and 13, stopping traffic in both directions on that part of the M25.
However, within an hour cops had the situation under control after The Sun tipped off cops yesterday.
On Monday morning the mob glued and locked themselves on to sign structures at 13 locations from 7.30am, having boasted it would be “biggest demonstration in British history”.
But six forces from across the South East created a ring of steel around London’s orbital motorway, used by up to 200,000 motorists every day.
Specialist teams were already in place, including officers with climbing equipment and cherry pickers so any protesters could be quickly removed.
Met Police Assistant Commissioner Matt Twist said the climate change group’s action was further curtailed in its scope by the advance arrests of seven suspected ringleaders after a Sun investigation revealed their plans.
He added: “It could have been a whole lot worse.
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"This was a very significant and coordinated effort to cause massive disruption to the entirety of the M25.”
Suspected mastermind Roger Hallam, 56, was one of three people held on Sunday following our undercover investigation.
A further four people were held in a pre-dawn raid at an address in South London yesterday.
Those arrested were held under the tougher new offence of conspiracy to cause a public nuisance — punishable by up to ten years’ in jail.
It comes after UK business secretary Grant Shapps said he hopes Just Stop Oil protesters "spend Christmas in prison".
Speaking to he slammed their actions as "unacceptable and illegal".
It came after National Highways secured an emergency High Court injunction to prevent protesters disrupting the road, acting on The Sun’s information.
The Met Police sprang into action after we infiltrated a meeting on Wednesday and warned the force of the hardline green campaigners’ plot for months of action to stop cars flowing on the M25.
Chief Superintendent Simon Anslow said today: “We have been prepared for more acts of disruption and had officers proactively patrolling the M25 who’s quick actions have helped minimise the impact on the public this morning.
“However, we appreciate people just trying to go about their daily lives have been disrupted again, I completely understand the anger and frustration and want to assure people we are working hard to prevent these criminal acts and to respond was quickly as we can where they take place.
“We have mobilised a significant amount of resources to deal with these incidents.
“These are resources which should be tackling knife crime, helping investigate sexual and domestic offences, and responding to burglaries.
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“However, due to these actions they are not able to because we have had to divert them to these incidents. That is unacceptable.
“We will continue to work to keep people safe, keep Essex moving, and deal with criminal acts where they take place.
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