M25 disruption: Arrests over fourth day of Just Stop Oil protests

Sections of the M25 were closed on a fourth day of action by climate activists

Several people who climbed gantries on the M25 have been arrested, as the motorway is disrupted for a fourth day.

Essex Police said it detained a woman at about 07:10 GMT on the clockwise carriageway about 1.5 miles (2.4km) before junction 28 for the A12.

Surrey Police made two arrests and removed two people from gantries. The Met Police has made one arrest.

National Highways said there were "multiple police-led incidents" on the M25 this morning.

One lane of the M25 was closed for a short time, but all lanes between junctions 28 and 29 for the A127 were now open.

"All police led incidents from this morning have now ended", National Highways said in a tweet.

It thanked motorists for their patience, adding there would be some "residual delays" and to allow extra time for travel.

In Surrey, police officers said they arrested two activists who had climbed the gantry at junction eight for Reigate. The stretch has since reopened.

The Met Police said it was responding to a person "up a gantry" by junction 25, for Enfield, and the road was temporarily closed.

It had made one arrest and the road was due to reopen, it added.

The anticlockwise M25 was also blocked at junction 16 (M40) and junction 15 (M4), but has reopened.

Just Stop Oil, which was responsible for the past three days of action, confirmed that its supporters had climbed on to the overhead gantries of the M25 at multiple locations.

"We're ready to keep going until the government ends new oil and gas," it said in a tweet.

Ch Supt Simon Anslow, from Essex Police, said he was "proud" of the force's "extremely quick" response.

"Our working at heights team arrived within two minutes to provide support and it took a total of just 31 minutes before all lanes were reopened completely," he said.

Two lorries crashed at a rolling roadblock, Essex Police said

On Wednesday, an Essex Police officer was injured on the M25 amid climate protests which also closed parts of the motorway in Kent, Surrey and Hertfordshire.

The police motorcyclist was hurt in a collision which also involved two lorries at a rolling roadblock.

Mr Anslow said: "I'm pleased to say that he is making a full recovery."

• Is it legal for Just Stop Oil to block roads?

• Reporter speaks about her arrest at M25 protest

Rory Kennedy, co-founder of the US-based Climate Emergency Fund (CEF) - which funds Just Stop Oil - has told The World Tonight on BBC Radio 4 there will be no let-up to protests in the UK.

When asked about the police officer being injured, she said "none of us want to cause any damage to any individuals... and it's unfortunate that that situation arose".

"But I think the point that Just Stop Oil is saying is that we are in a crisis and we need to operate like we are in a crisis," she said.

Ms Kennedy said the fund's relationship with Just Stop Oil was "very close" and the organisation had been supporting them over the past year.

"We don't support violent activity, but we support many actions that stop short of violence," Ms Kennedy added.

During a speech in the afternoon, the home secretary told police to be firmer against protesters.

Suella Braverman said the "disruption is a threat to our way of life".

On Sunday, the High Court granted an injunction preventing M25 protests, meaning anyone involved in any such protest could be found in contempt of court.

Essex Police confirmed that three people arrested in connection with Wednesday's disruption had been charged with public nuisance offences.

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