Just Stop Oil: 58 people charged over protests which shut down parts of M25
A total of 58 people have been charged after Just Stop Oil staged four days of protests on the M25, shutting down parts of Britain’s busiest motorway.
The Metropolitan Police said it had arrested 63 suspects during a “major operation to tackle serious disruption”.
Eleven people charged were due to appear in various courts on Friday – on the same day the climate activist organisation announced it would pause protests on the M25.
The group – whose members climbed overhead gantries on the motorway – said in a statement: “From today, Just Stop Oil will halt its campaign of civil resistance on the M25.
“We are giving time to those in government who are in touch with reality to consider their responsibilities to this country at this time.
“We ask that the prime minister consider his statement at COP27, where he spoke of the catastrophic threat posed by the ravages of global heating, the 33 million people displaced by floods in Pakistan, and the moral and economic imperative to honour our pledges.”
But they warned: “The supporters of Just Stop Oil (JSO) are now the people upholding law and order and protecting civil society.
“Under British law, people in this country have a right to cause disruption to prevent greater harm – we will not stand by.”
A Just Stop Oil activist seen on an overhead gantry on the M25.
The 11 people charged include David Misfud, 46, of Totnes, Devon, who was due to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court in central London.
Nicholas Onley, 60, of Tottenham, north London and Thomas Gardener, 40, of Stapleford, Nottinghamshire, were due to face magistrates in Reading.
Meanwhile, Diana Hekt, 68, of Kirklees, Huddersfield, and Tez Burns, 34, of Swansea, were due to appear at Brighton Magistrates’ Court.
Mair Bain, 35, of Derby; Phoebe Plummer, 21, of Clapham, southwest London; David Mann, 50, of Ipswich; Cressida Gethian, 20, of Ledbury, Herefordshire; Christopher Ford, 35, of Cambridge, and Quido Wieswer, 18, from Pentonville, north London, were all set to appear at Colchester Magistrates’ Court on Friday.
Pic: Just Stop Oil
Injured police officer now recovering
An Essex Police motorcyclist who was injured during a collision with two lorries as the protests unfolded on Wednesday is now recovering and has thanked the public for their concern.
The officer, who has asked to remain anonymous, was hurt during a rolling roadblock after being thrown from his motorcycle.
The married father-of-two is a highly experienced officer who was equipped with the force’s latest motorcycle, including protective clothing and built-in airbags.
He has been part of the Essex Police Road Policing Unit for more than 20 years after signing up in 2001.
The incident comes as a senior police chief warned it is “only a matter of time” before someone is killed during the demonstrations.
But JSO activist Indigo Rumbelow, during a fiery exchange with Sky News’ Mark Austin on Thursday, insisted protests should continue and defended the M25 disruption.
She described the situation as “incredibly grave” and warned: “Protests will have to continue because, at the moment, I just do not know what else we’re going to do.”
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Protester Indigo Rumbelow is challenged by Sky’s Mark Austin
Chief Supt Simon Anslow, the senior officer leading operations on the Essex section of the M25, thanked motorists for their patience and support to officers.
Police to be given more powers to stop protests
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak earlier this week said ministers are “moving ahead” with legislation to give police more powers to stop protests.
His remarks were in response to Conservative MP for Runnymede and Weybridge in Surrey, Ben Spencer, telling the Commons how the M25 protests had caused “disruption and misery” to constituents, including problems accessing the local hospital.
Read more:
Explained: Who are Just Stop Oil?
Video reveals tailbacks caused by M25 protests
JSO has staged 32 days of disruption from the end of September and throughout October, leading to 677 arrests and 111 people being charged.
Officers worked a total of 9,438 extra shifts to tackle the crisis. JSO said its supporters have been arrested more than 2,000 times since beginning its campaign in April.
Sir Keir Starmer has joined other European leaders in Kyiv to press Russia to agree an unconditional 30-day ceasefire.
The prime minister is attending the summit alongside French President Emmanuel Macron, recently-elected German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk.
It is the first time the leaders of the four countries have travelled to Ukraine at the same time – arriving in the capital by train – with their meeting hosted by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Sir Keir Starmer, Emmanuel Macron and Friedrich Merz travelling in the saloon car of a special train to Kyiv. Pic: Reuters
Leaders arrive in Kyiv by train. Pic: PA
It comes after Donald Trump called for “ideally” a 30-day ceasefire between Kyiv and Moscow, and warned that if any pause in the fighting is not respected “the US and its partners will impose further sanctions”.
Security and defence analyst Michael Clarke told Sky News presenter Samantha Washington the European leaders are “rowing in behind” the US president, who referred to his “European allies” for the first time in this context in a post on his Truth Social platform.
“So this meeting is all about heaping pressure on the Russians to go along with the American proposal,” he said.
“It’s the closest the Europeans and the US have been for about three months on this issue.”
Sir Keir Starmer, Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Emmanuel Macron among world leaders in Kyiv. Pic: AP
Trump calls for ceasefire. Pic: Truth Social
Ukraine’s foreign minister Andrii Sybiha said Ukraine and its allies are ready for a “full, unconditional ceasefire” for at least 30 days starting on Monday.
Ahead of the meeting on Saturday, Sir Keir, Mr Macron, Mr Tusk and Mr Merz released a joint statement.
European leaders show solidarity – but await Trump’s backing
The hope is Russia’s unilateral ceasefire, such as it’s worth, can be extended for a month to give peace a chance.
But ahead of the meeting, Ukrainian sources told Sky News they are still waiting for President Donald Trump to put his full weight behind the idea.
The US leader has said a 30-day ceasefire would be ideal, but has shown no willingness yet for putting pressure on Russian president Vladimir Putin to agree.
The Russians say a ceasefire can only come after a peace deal can be reached.
European allies are still putting their hopes in a negotiated end to the war despite Moscow’s intransigence and President Trump’s apparent one-sided approach favouring Russia.
Ukrainians would prefer to be given enough economic and military support to secure victory.
But in over three years, despite its massive economic superiority to Russia and its access to more advanced military technology, Europe has not found the political will to give Kyiv the means to win.
Until they do, Vladimir Putin may decide it is still worth pursuing this war despite its massive cost in men and materiel on both sides.
“We reiterate our backing for President Trump’s calls for a peace deal and call on Russia to stop obstructing efforts to secure an enduring peace,” they said.
“Alongside the US, we call on Russia to agree a full and unconditional 30-day ceasefire to create the space for talks on a just and lasting peace.”
Sir Keir and Volodymyr Zelenskyy during a meeting in March. Pic: AP
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Putin’s Victory Day parade explained
The leaders said they were “ready to support peace talks as soon as possible”.
But they warned that they would continue to “ratchet up pressure on Russia’s war machine” until Moscow agrees to a lasting ceasefire.
“We are clear the bloodshed must end, Russia must stop its illegal invasion, and Ukraine must be able to prosper as a safe, secure and sovereign nation within its internationally recognised borders for generations to come,” their statement added.
“We will continue to increase our support for Ukraine.”
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The European leaders are set to visit the Maidan, a central square in Ukraine’s capital where flags represent those who died in the war.
They are also expected to host a virtual meeting for other leaders in the “coalition of the willing” to update them on progress towards a peacekeeping force.
Military officers from around 30 countries have been involved in drawing up plans for a coalition, which would provide a peacekeeping force in the event of a ceasefire being agreed between Russia and Ukraine.
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This force “would help regenerate Ukraine’s armed forces after any peace deal and strengthen confidence in any future peace”, according to Number 10.
A special constable has been jailed after taking pictures on his phone from bodycam footage showing a dying man.
Former police volunteer William Heggs, 23, was sentenced to 12 months’ imprisonment at Leicester Crown Court on Friday after showing the photos of victim William Harty, 28, to a female colleague and storing them on his Snapchat account.
Mr Harty was found seriously injured in a residential street in Leicester on 25 October 2021 and Heggs had attended the scene, helping with CPR before paramedics arrived.
Mr Harty died in hospital a day later and the man responsible for his injuries, his brother-in-law Martin Casey, was subsequently convicted of his manslaughter.
Heggs showed the pictures he had taken of bodycam footage of Mr Harty’s body to a Leicestershire Police constable, who reported Heggs and said she did not like seeing blood.
His phone was seized and officers discovered other photographs and video clips of bodyworn footage of incidents Heggs had attended on duty, including of a knife seizure, use of baton and pepper spray, and a man with an injured hand receiving first aid.
He also took pictures of a police computer screen, showing details of crimes and suspects, without consent.
Heggs stored the materials in a Snapchat folder and disclosed graphic details – most of which were not in the public domain – about the injuries to a woman who was killed in a road traffic collision he had attended, to a friend on the social media platform.
Heggs was suspended from the force in November 2021 and resigned in October 2024 before pleading guilty to 11 computer misuse and data protection offences this March.
William Harty’s widow Mandy Casey. Pic: PA
‘He has traumatised me’
Mr Harty’s widow, Mandy Casey, said in a victim impact statement read to the court that Heggs “took (her) husband’s dignity when he was most vulnerable”.
“You don’t take someone’s dignity and pride from them on their deathbed.”
She continued: “When I found out special constable Heggs had done this, I just wanted to ask why. He has traumatised me. I feel I will never know if he showed them to others.”
Ms Casey said she was still scared that photos of her husband’s body might appear on social media.
She added that she had lost trust in the police.
Public trust in police ‘significantly undermined’
Judge Timothy Spencer told Heggs, who has autism and ADHD, that he was “probably too immature to be working as a police officer” as he handed down the sentence.
He said Heggs had received “extensive training”, including on the importance of data protection, and knew he should only share materials for “a genuine policing purpose”.
Heggs’s actions had “significantly undermined” public trust and confidence in police, according to the judge.
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Malcolm McHaffie, from the Crown Prosecution Service, added: “William Heggs abused the public’s trust in the office he held as a special police constable.
“He violated the dignity of the deceased victims for no apparent reason other than what could be considered personal fascination and to gain credibility among his peers.”
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