Parts of the M25 have been temporarily closed after Just Stop Oil protesters climbed overhead gantries and caused disruption on the major motorway circling London.
A spokeswoman for the group said “action has gone ahead in multiple locations on the M25”.
Motorists were urged to avoid the area and seek alternative routes while several police forces dealt with the demonstrations.
The disruption comes despite the Metropolitan Police “proactively” arresting campaigners last night suspected of planning action on UK motorways.
Image: A protester is removed from an overhead gantry at J6 of the M25. Pics: Surrey Police
Surrey Police said a decision was made to close several sections of the M25 from the morning rush hour on Monday “for the safety of everyone” while officers removed activists.
The force said it had received reports of protesters scaling gantries between junctions 6 and 7, 8 and 9, 9 and 10, and 11 and 12.
“We are here and dealing and will get this resolved as soon as possible,” it tweeted, later adding activists had been removed and arrested for public nuisance from all those sections of the motorway, with lanes reopening.
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A fifth protester, who had scaled an overhead gantry between junctions 13 and 14, was also removed – with traffic resuming.
Image: A protester on the M25 between junctions 6 and 7. Pic: Just Stop Oil
Three people were arrested by Essex Police, including a man and a woman for attempting to climb a gantry at junction 30 of the motorway. The third person had locked himself onto a gantry at junction 27.
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“At this stage, there are no longer any reported incidents on the Essex stretch of the M25 and the road has now fully reopened,” the force said in a statement.
Meanwhile, Hertfordshire Police said it was dealing with similar action on the M25 at junctions 20, 22 and 23.
“The junction 22 #M25 road closure has now been lifted. All protestors have been removed and some 5 people have been arrested,” it tweeted.
Image: A Just Stop Oil protester at J30 of the M25. Pic: Essex Police
Image: A Just Stop Oil protester is detained by officers on the M25. Pic: Essex Police
The Met had earlier said its “significant” operation had resulted in at least three people being detained, who the force had “strong reason to believe are intent on causing reckless and serious disruption to the public”.
In a statement released late on Sunday, Assistant Commissioner Matt Twist said: “Acting on intelligence, this operation is fast-moving and will continue this evening and overnight with multiple arrest inquiries under way.
“So far this evening we have made three arrests linked to this activity.
“Our investigation has strong reason to suspect the Just Stop Oil group intend to disrupt major motorway road networks which would risk serious harm to the public, with reckless action to obstruct the public on a large scale.”
The suspects were arrested for allegedly conspiring to cause public nuisance, according to the Met Police.
Mr Twist warned there “remains a possibility” that other suspects are “still intent on causing unlawful disruption to the public”.
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Just Stop Oil removed from London roads
Image: File pic
National Highways has secured a High Court injunction to prevent Just Stop Oil protesters disrupting England’s busiest motorway.
The court has granted a further injunction which aims to stop unlawful demonstrations on the M25, which encircles Greater London, in an attempt to end disruption to the busy road by the environmental group.
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Moment protesters brought down from QE2 bridge
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Who are Just Stop Oil?
It means that anyone entering the motorway and fixing themselves to any object or structure on it, and anyone assisting in such an act, can be held in contempt of court.
They could face imprisonment, an unlimited fine, and the seizure of assets.
Just Stop Oil has attracted widespread attention, and fierce criticism, in recent weeks for their stunts which have involved spraying orange paint on buildings and scaling a bridge to force the closure of the M25 Dartford Crossing.
The climate change activists staged 32 days of disruption from the end of September and throughout October, which the Met said resulted in 677 arrests with 111 people charged.
The protesters have been calling on the government to abandon plans to licence more than 100 new oil and gas projects by 2025, and to do more to help people with their skyrocketing energy bills.
Labour MP Dan Norris has been arrested on suspicion of rape and child sex offences.
A Labour Party spokesperson said: “Dan Norris MP was immediately suspended by the Labour Party upon being informed of his arrest.
“We cannot comment further while the police investigation is ongoing.”
Police said a man in his 60s had been arrested on Friday on suspicion of sexual offences against a girl, rape, child abduction and misconduct in a public office.
Sky News has contacted Mr Norris for comment.
Mr Norris, 65, defeated Jacob Rees-Mogg to win the new seat of North East Somerset and Hanham in last year’s general election.
He has also lost the party whip in the House of Commons and has stepped down from his role as chair of the League Against Cruel Sports.
Avon and Somerset Police said in a statement: “In December 2024, we received a referral from another police force relating to alleged non-recent child sex offences having been committed against a girl.
“Most of the offences are alleged to have occurred in the 2000s, but we’re also investigating an alleged offence of rape from the 2020s.
“An investigation, led by officers within Operation Bluestone, our dedicated rape and serious sexual assault investigation team, remains ongoing and at an early stage.
“The victim is being supported and given access to any specialist help or support she needs.
“A man, aged in his 60s, was arrested on Friday (April 4) on suspicion of sexual offences against a girl (under the Sexual Offences Act 1956), rape (under the Sexual Offences Act 2003), child abduction and misconduct in a public office. He’s been released on conditional bail for enquiries to continue.
“This is an active and sensitive investigation, so we’d respectfully ask people not to speculate on the circumstances so our enquiries can continue unhindered.”
Mr Norris first entered Parliament when Tony Blair came to power in 1997 and served as the Wansdyke MP until 2010.
He was an assistant whip under Mr Blair and served as a junior minister under Gordon Brown.
Mr Norris has also been West of England mayor since 2021 but is due to step down ahead of May’s local elections.
A spokesman for the League Against Cruel Sports, a UK-based animal welfare charity which campaigns to end sports such as fox hunting and game bird shooting, confirmed he had stepped down from his role.
“The charity cannot comment further while an investigation is ongoing,” a statement said.
Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) has said it will “pause” shipments to the US as the British car firm works to “address the new trading terms” of Donald Trump’s tariffs.
The US president has introduced a 25% levy on all foreign cars imported into the country, which came into force on Thursday.
JLR, one of the country’s biggest carmakers, exported about 38,000 cars to the US in the third quarter of 2024 – almost equal to the amount sold to the UK and the EU combined.
In a statement on Saturday, a spokesperson for the company behind the Jaguar, Land Rover and Range Rover brands said: “The USA is an important market for JLR’s luxury brands.
“As we work to address the new trading terms with our business partners, we are taking some short-term actions including a shipment pause in April, as we develop our mid- to longer-term plans.”
The company released a statement last week before Mr Trump announced a “baseline” 10% tariff on goods from around the world, which kicked in on Saturday morning, on what he called “liberation day”.
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JLR reassured customers its business was “resilient” and “accustomed to changing market conditions”.
“Our priorities now are delivering for our clients around the world and addressing these new US trading terms,” the firm said.
Trading across the world has been hit by Mr Trump’s tariff announcement at the White House on Wednesday.
All but one stock on the FTSE 100 fell on Friday – with Rolls-Royce, banks and miners among those to suffer the sharpest losses.
Cars are the top product exported from the UK to the US, with exports worth £8.3bn in the year to the end of September 2024, according to data from the Office for National Statistics.
For UK carmakers, the US is the second largest export market behind the European Union.
Industry groups have previously warned the tariffs will force firms to rethink where they trade, while a report by thinktank the Institute for Public Policy Research said more than 25,000 car manufacturing jobs in the UK could be at risk.
Two people have died following a fire at a caravan site near Skegness, Lincolnshire Police have said.
In a statement, officers said they were called at 3.53am on Saturday to a report of a blaze at Golden Beach Holiday Park in the village of Ingoldmells.
Fire and rescue crews attended the scene, and two people were found to have died.
They were reported to be a 10-year-old girl and a 48-year-old man.
The force said the victims’ next of kin have been informed and will be supported by specially trained officers.
Officers are trying to establish the exact cause of the blaze.
“We are at the very early stages of our investigation and as such we are keeping an open mind,” the force said.