London petrol stations damaged by anti-oil protesters

Police said a number of petrol stations in London were targeted on Friday morning

Police have made 43 arrests after protesters damaged petrol stations in London.

The Met said several petrol stations were targeted on Friday morning "causing disruption and damaging pumps".

Climate group Just Stop Oil said 51 of its members were disrupting seven petrol stations across the capital.

They made fuel pumps unusable by breaking display glass and covered them in spray paint.

The Met tweeted officers are at the scene at each targeted petrol station and specialist teams are removing those who are glued to petrol pumps.

It said:

• Arrests were made at a petrol station in Western Avenue, Ealing, after protesters glued themselves to pumps and the road

• Five men were arrested for criminal damage after targeting a petrol station on the Albert Embankment in central London

• Five people have been arrested for criminal damage after protestors caused damage at a petrol station in Talgarth Road, Hammersmith

• Eight men and women were arrested for criminal damage, highway obstruction and related offences after protesting at a petrol station in Ealing Road, Brentford

• Five men and two women were arrested after damage was caused to pumps at The Vale in Acton

The Met said specialist teams were removing those glued to pumps

Police said protesters also set off flares and unfurled a banner on Westminster Bridge.

Just Stop Oil has repeatedly protested against new oil projects. On Wednesday the group targeted three service stations on the M25 motorway.

Tez Burns, 34, a bicycle mechanic, from Swansea, taking part in the protest on Friday, said: "I can't live with myself, knowing what I know, without doing all I can to stop new oil and gas.

"We are suffering the worst cost-of-living crisis in 40 years and facing climate breakdown because of our dependence on oil.

"Yet the government is allowing energy companies to drive us into poverty with skyrocketing energy bills, and is failing to protect us from the consequences of climate collapse.

"Enough is enough."

'Put jobs at risk'

The government said it would "not bend to the will who naively want to extinguish North Sea oil and gas production".

"Doing so would put energy security and British jobs at risk, and simply increase foreign imports, whilst not reducing demand," a spokesman said.

"We are committed to a strong North Sea industry as we transition away from fossil fuels over the coming decades, and our recent British Energy Security Strategy sets out a long-term plan to ramp up renewables and nuclear energy."

The government added it was helping households with a £400 discount on energy bills this winter and an additional £1,200 extra support for the most vulnerable households.

Just Stop Oil has repeatedly protested against new oil projects

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