Insulate Britain: School-run mum admits dangerous driving near M25

Sherrilyn Speid pleaded guilty to using her car to try and move an Insulate Britain protester

A mother has admitted using her car to try to move a climate change protester blocking the road in Grays, Essex, while she was on the school run.

Sherrilyn Speid, 35, of Grays, pleaded guilty to a charge of dangerous driving when she appeared at Southend Magistrates' Court.

She was at the wheel of a Range Rover when she came across a sit-in near the M25 on 13 October at about 08:30 GMT.

Speid, who was given unconditional bail, will be sentenced in May.

The incident involving Speid was caught on camera by a passer-by and heavily bleeped footage was shown to magistrates.

Prosecutor Ashley Petchey said there were three Insulate Britain protesters sitting across the road and queues of traffic had built up behind them.

Speid got out of her vehicle and "remonstrated" with the protesters, the court heard.

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The footage shows a woman telling the protesters they must "move out of the way now" and adding, "my son needs to go to school and I need to go to work".

On the dangerous driving count, Mr Petchey said: "It is not an excessive speed as the driver was using the brakes quite heavily.

But he said that "on two occasions" the "Range Rover stops very close to the female protester".

Mr Petchey said: "Clearly this was an incident where there was a risk, even if no injury was caused."

Insulate Britain activists have been calling for government to commit to providing insulation for 29 million homes

An assault charge against Speid, in which it was alleged that a protester had been beaten, was dismissed after the prosecution said it would produce no evidence.

The prosecution said it would ask for £310 in costs and a pre-sentence report has been ordered.

Peter Hoche, chairman of the magistrates bench, also banned Speid from driving by issuing her with an interim driving disqualification.