Boris Johnson slams eco-mob blockading M25

4.5k

View
comments

Priti Patel today faces mounting pressure to deal with the eco-zealots who blocked Britain’s busiest road for the fourth time in a week.

Despite the Home Secretary reading the eco-mob the riot act – promising to come down hard on the group’s ringleaders – Insulate Britain continued their disruptive protest this morning by once again blocking the M25.

The latest demonstration will swing the spotlight back on to the Tory minister, who last week urged police to take ‘decisive action’ in order to deal with the eco-warriors. Despite this, the group are vowing to block the motorway for a fifth time.

It comes as today Boris Johnson said the group – who are demanding the Government reduce home heating emissions to zero – were doing ‘no favours to their cause’ after their fourth M25 protest in seven days.

Asked if he thought Insulate Britain’s tactics of promoting climate change awareness by blocking motorways were effective or counter productive, the Prime Minister said: ‘I don’t think these people do any favours to their cause. 

‘I think that what they do is detract from a very important moral mission that is widely shared by the people of this country.’

Quizzed if the police are doing enough to deal with the demonstrators, he added: ‘We are taking powers to be able to move protestors when they are threatening critical national infrastructure, when they are threatening to do serious economic damage and I think that is entirely right’. 

Irate drivers confronted demonstrators this morning, calling them ‘f***ing p***ks’ and saying: ‘Why the hell do you think this is the right thing to do?’ as 15 activists from Insulate Britain sat in the road at Junction 18 at Rickmansworth, near Watford, while offering their ‘sympathies’ to a woman paralysed by a stroke after getting stuck in traffic for six hours last week. They also blocked the A1M at Welwyn Garden City.

The group also bragged that many of those blocking the M25 today ‘have participated in all four actions to date’, adding that only one person among the 245 people arrested in the previous three protests has appeared in court, believed to be a ringleader named Nick Cooper who has repeatedly blocked roads for Extinction Rebellion since 2018.  

Meanwhile, an Extinction Rebellion member told MailOnline members were assisting in the protests by running a ‘taxi service’ moving campaigners from custody straight back to the demonstration sites. 

‘They are running an ”Insulate Britain Taxi Service”. Cars are immediately dispatched to pick people up from custody so they can be ferried straight back to the road blocks,’ one XR member told MailOnline.

But he said that many XR members were ‘really angry’ at Insulate Britain’s tactics. ‘They feel it is damaging the reputation of the whole environmental movement,’ the XR member said.

‘There are quite a few XR people who’ve said they are leaving the movement because of what Insulate Britain are doing. ‘

One driver caught in the long rush hour queues this morning ran down the sliproad to confront the group and told them they should be protesting outside Downing Street, not risking lives on the M25. 

He told them he understood why they were fighting, but added: ‘Why the hell do you think this is the right thing to do? You’re causing more pollution with all these cars sitting here just doing f*** all. This is not the way to do it. You’re wrecking lives and making people hate you’. 

Police arrested 29 of the enviro-militants but two remained blocking the sliproad after gluing their hands to the Tarmac, as officers were forced to hold back another driver who tried to take the law into his own hands while yelling at the IB protesters: ‘You lot are a bunch of f***ing p***ks’.  The road was finally cleared around 90 minutes after the protest began. 

A statement from the group said: ‘Early this morning, Insulate Britain blocked the M25 for a fourth time. Actions will continue until the Government makes a meaningful commitment to insulate all of Britain’s 29 million leaky homes by 2030, and all social housing by 2025.

‘People blocked slip roads and the M25 carriageway itself in a number of locations. Once again, blue paint was poured onto the road, which will require cleaning, leading to further disruption. Many of those blocking the roads today have participated in all four actions to date.’ 

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has criticised climate protesters disrupting the M25, telling PA: ‘I think it’s irresponsible, I think it’s dangerous. It’s completely counterproductive as well because they’re actually creating the pollution they want to get rid of by having cars standing still, so there’s no justification for that kind of action. I call on them to stop and the police to intervene.’

Asked if he wants the police to make a more robust response to the demonstrations, Mr Shapps said: ‘The police will have to work out their approach and tactics, but it’s not right for our roads to be blocked for illegal protests like this to take place, and for it to happen repetitively.

‘I’ve no doubt at all the police will want to learn from their experience and make sure they’re able to step in more quickly and efficiently.’

Members of the Extinction Rebellion splinter group had warned the forces policing the UK’s busiest motorway they would return after they were released from custody on Friday, often with no bail conditions. In some cases they were set free and told they would face no further action. 

Unrepentant Insulate Britain supporters revealed last night they were planning yet another protest on Britain’s busiest road from 7am today – but witnesses said there was initially no police at J18 when they popped up this morning. 

In a statement, the group said it wrote to the Highways Agency and relevant police forces to tell them that their ‘campaign’ of ‘civil disobedience’ would continue today – and that supporters would be on the M25 network without specifying which parts. 

The demonstrators said they are asking the Highways Agency to ‘review their previous decision not to reduce speed limits, even though they had been made aware that major disruption will be taking place’ – a request they said was ‘refused’.

A copy of the letter sent to the authorities published on the Insulate Britain website said: ‘In the context of the horror of the climate crisis we believe that it is entirely proportionate to create disruption on the motorway network if it means the UK Government fulfils its legal obligation of staying below 2C which will stop the unimaginable suffering for future generations.

‘Our request was refused. We write now to request that you review this decision, as campaign supporters will be on the M25 network on Monday 20th September from 7am.’ 

Foreign Office minister James Cleverly said the demonstrations were inappropriate, and were causing harm – adding that they are ‘adding nothing’ to the cause of tackling climate change. 

Appearing on ITV’s Good Morning Britain programme, Mr Cleverly was played a clip from the LBC radio station of a man who claimed he had been stuck on the motorway for six hours while trying to get his mother to hospital after she suffered a stroke.

He said she had been left partially paralysed and that doctors had told him if they had arrived earlier, she may have had a better chance of recovery.

Mr Cleverly said it was a ‘harrowing story’ and that there had also been crashes due to the demonstrations.

He told GMB: ‘It is a completely inappropriate way of making the point they’re trying to make, and I know the police have been taking action, the Home Secretary has made it very, very clear that they should be taking action, the police should take action when people are taking part in criminal behaviour, and that’s what I think everybody will expect.’

He said the protests were ‘ego-driven’, and added: ‘I think the vast, vast majority of people want to see us tackling climate change, we are tackling climate change, the UK is one of the global leaders in this and this is very much what the Prime Minister will be taking with him as a message when he goes to the United Nations, or now that he’s at the United Nations General Assembly.

‘We’ve got the fastest reduction of emissions of any major developed economy, the UK is actually a real leader on this.

‘So I have to say, my belief is that those disruptions and protests are more ego-driven, rather than issues-driven. And I would strongly urge the people involved in it not to put themselves and others at harm by this continued disruption.’

He added: ‘These protesters are waking up at lunchtime and claiming credit for the sunrise. The simple fact is the UK is already pushing the world to do more and we are walking the walk as well as talking the talk and these protesters are adding nothing to that discussion.’

Chief Superintendent Nick Caveney said: ‘Protesters have made it clear that they intend to continue causing disruption. Not only is purposely blocking a highway incredibly dangerous, it also affects thousands of members of the public who are stuck in delays as a result.

‘We have robust plans in place in order to minimise any disruption and to allow us to make arrests as quickly as we possibly can. This includes, but is not limited to, monitoring areas that have been identified as possible protest targets.

‘Officers were on the scene within minutes of being alerted to protest activity, allowing us to put diversions in place to ease the traffic and to make numerous arrests. All protesters involved in this morning’s protests have been arrested and will be taken to custody.

‘We are working closely with other affected forces to ensure that any further activity is dealt with effectively and efficiently.’ 

Last week the group infuriated drivers by blocking the M25 on three separate days as part of a protest – with as many as 80 activists bringing the motorway to a halt on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, while also shutting down the M3 and M11. 

Police chiefs came under intense pressure for the way they tackled the protests and Priti Patel summoned Met Commissioner Cressida Dick and other force bosses responsible for the M25 after they failed to drag away protesters ‘immediately’.

Shocking video emerged showing an officer stopping traffic to allow protesters onto the motorway earlier this week, with the Met saying he was trying to keep the activists ‘safe’. The anger at the police’s handling of the situation was increased after photos emerged showing some protesters attending all three demonstrations, despite being previously arrested. 

It comes as ex-Green Party leader Caroline Lucas was branded ‘extreme’ yesterday after she defended the protesters, insisting their demands are ‘reasonable’ and claiming: ‘We face an existential crisis, an emergency, and we need to take emergency action now.’

During a fiery exchange on Sky News’ Trevor Phillips on Sunday programme, the MP for Brighton Pavilion was repeatedly asked if she would have joined protesters from XR splinter group Insulate Britain had she been invited to join the three demonstrations. 

Ms Lucas eventually admitted that their actions were ‘extreme’ but justified, calling the group’s demands to insulate homes ‘reasonable’.  

Speaking to MailOnline, Conservative MP Ian Liddell-Grainger branded Ms Lucas ‘extreme’, adding: ‘I simply cannot believe that Caroline Lucas is using her Parliamentary position to further her own agenda rather than serve the proper interests of the British public. 

‘If she had her own way, there would be no nuclear, no gas and no oil – just wind turbine and people living by candlelight. We cannot go back to the Dark Ages just because of the extreme actions of a extreme faction of an extreme organisation, backed by an extreme MP.’   

‘I have a proud history of taking nonviolent direct action as does the Green Party and we do believe that it is legitimate when other forms of trying to raise issues with the Government have failed,’ the former Green Party leader told an irate Mr Phillips.

‘As long as it is nonviolent then I think we need to understand why protesters have taken this extreme action. Ban Ki-Moon, the former UN Secretary-General, has said this is an emergency and in emergency situations we need to take emergency action. 

‘I believe that it what those protesters were doing. It is really difficult to try to capture on a mild September Sunday the fact that we are facing an existential threat to life on Earth… that is what we are facing. When it comes to the demands of those protesters, they want the Government to insulate Britain. I cannot think of a more reasonable demand.’ 

After giving a long-winded answer to Mr Phillips’ simple question of whether she would have joined the protests, the Sky News presenter told Ms Lucas: ‘I’m taking that as a yes and you think it’s reasonable for this cause to stop people going to work particularly those people who can’t work from home? You think that’s ok?’

She then continued: ‘I think it is unreasonable for this government to have failed’ – before she was interrupted by Mr Phillips, who said: ‘No let’s stick with the protest. You think it’s reasonable for them to have done what they did.’

Again, the ex-Green Party leader began: ‘I’m saying that their demands are reasonable and’ – before Mr Phillips interrupted: ‘No I’m asking about what they did.’ 

Ms Lucas said: ‘It is reasonable to take emergency action and that’s what they were doing. The Government has failed to put in place any kind of insulation programme. First of all we had the Green Deal that completely failed, it had interest rates of eight per cent so that people were taking loans to insulate their homes. Then we had the Green Homes Grant, that has collapsed in absolute chaos. 

‘There is no programme to keep people’s homes warm. In the meantime what is happening is that people are dying prematurely every year from fuel poverty. Around 15 per cent of our emissions in the UK are coming from our leaky housing stock. What is unreasonable is the fact that the Government sets its face against a set of policies that will get our emissions down, will get jobs up, will get fuel bills down and would address some of the issues you were talking to Alok (Sharma, the President of COP26) about.’

Mr Phillips then said: ‘I fully understand your point about what you regard as government inequities, but to be absolutely clear, you think this was a perfectly reasonable action. If they had sent you an invitation next time, you’d say: ‘yeah, I’m come and I’ll block the M25′.’

She replied: ‘I am saying that in extreme situations it is reasonable to take extreme actions and that is what has driven these protesters to do that. Personally I prefer to take action where it is closer to the target of that action, so that might be Downing Street, it might be the Treasury, but I fully understand why protesters felt driven to do something more dramatic than that, because government has been ignoring all those kinds of actions for many many years. We face an existential crisis, an emergency, and we need to take emergency action now.’ 

It comes as church leaders slammed two priests – Rev Tim Hewes and Rev Sue Parfitt – who were among protesters who glued themselves to sliproads around the M25. Rev Parfitt, 79, who has previously committed contempt of court by gluing herself to court furniture after being arrested during XR protests, was pictured in her clerical collar, with protesters next to an overpass on Wednesday.

Rev Hewes, 71, who was photographed in August outside the offices of Rupert Murdoch’s News UK building after sewing his lips together in protest over what he called the ‘muting’ of climate science, also took part.

Church of England sources told the Sunday Telegraph: ‘We don’t think what Tim and Sue are doing is particularly helpful. There is an urgent need for real action to tackle climate change, but blocking roads and sewing your lips together is not the right way to go about it.

‘It’s this sort of thing that alienates people and makes them think that tackling the climate crisis is not possible without extremist measures. We don’t think the protests this week led to anything other than irritated drivers and could well have placed people in danger.’  

The Home Secretary held an emergency Zoom call with police chiefs after protesters from Insulate Britain shut down the UK’s busiest road during rush hour every 48 hours this week and made officers ‘look like idiots’, one Tory MP said. 

The enviro-zealots even warned officers they would do it again after being released without bail conditions on Monday and Wednesday – with Hertfordshire Police defending the decision not to charge them claiming they still need time to ‘gather evidence and build a case’ despite arresting dozens of them in the middle of the M25.

Surrey Police’s Chief Constable Gavin Stephens, Kent Police’s Chief Constable Alan Pughsley, Hertfordshire Constabulary’s Chief Constable Charlie Hall and Essex’s Ben-Julian Harrington are all in the firing line over their soft-touch response to the crippling protests.

A spokesman for the Association of British Drivers said: ‘The police have failed to do their duty. It’s time for Chief Constables to decide whose side they’re on. The actions of these people is an absolute bl**dy disgrace. 

‘They should be locked away. I’m appalled about why they have been released on bail with no restrictions. Not only have police not arrested these people for proper offences – they’ve not charged them with anything at all’.

A source close to the Home Secretary told MailOnline that at the summit with police chiefs she reiterated her message that ‘these people are breaking the law and must be removed immediately’. The insider did not go into what was discussed about the M25 – and how they would break the cycle of protests –  for ‘operational reasons’. But said: ‘The British public does not expect the police to be standing by while protesters disrupt people’s daily lives.’

Tory MP for South Thanet, Craig Mackinlay MP, said:  ‘I am surprised that the Metropolitan Police Commissioner has not advised her officers to make use of one of numerous possible legal provisions to prevent, remove, arrest and charge the activists within Insulate Britain, Extinction Rebellion and other anarchist groups causing mayhem to the law-abiding public simply trying to go about their normal activities and costing millions in lost business and valuable police time.’

One Tory backbencher told MailOnline: ‘Priti’s tough talking isn’t enough. These protesters are making the police look like idiots and the buck stops with the Home Secretary and her chief constables’. 

Ms Patel is under growing pressure with some drivers taking to social media demanding she ‘sorts this mess out’ or resigns. Others said Boris Johnson should sack her if police continue to ‘fail to keep roads open’.

One said: ‘Police – clear the f**king roads. Keep Britain moving or resign @pritipatel’. Another tweeted a picture of the police guarding the protesters and wrote: ‘@pritipatel – sort it or resign to let someone in who will’. One driver wrote simply: ‘Resign @pritipatel’. 

Priti Patel had ordered police to take ‘decisive action’ against the ‘selfish’ eco-protesters and described the ‘guerrilla tactics’ of Insulate Britain as ‘completely unacceptable’. But critics have demanded to know what she will do to stamp out the problem, and halt the embarrassing cycle of protests, after the eco-warriors completely ignored her. 

Met Commissioner Cressida Dick has been accused of ‘losing control’ of protests again and urged to resign just days after she was granted a two-year extension at Scotland Yard despite her critics including the parents of Stephen Lawrence and Jean Charles de Menezes saying she ‘should have been fired long ago’. One Government source told MailOnline the way it had been handled by the police this week was ‘mental’.  

As officers were shown being soft touch and drivers tried to clear the roads themselves, a Metropolitan Police officer was even filmed helping protesters to walk in front of cars and take their places at junction 25 on the M25 where they calmly sat down and blocked the road on Wednesday.  The Met defended the officer, saying it was for safety reasons, was a ‘dynamic’ decision and did not facilitate the protest. 

But Insulate Britain said its ‘actions will continue until the Government makes a meaningful commitment to insulate all of Britain’s 29 million leaky homes by 2030, which are among the oldest and most energy inefficient in Europe’. 

The mob from Insulation Britain turned up to blockade junction 28 at Brentwood at around 8.30am on Friday but officers from Essex Police were waiting for them and arrested them before they could start their protest. 

A small number broke through but they were then dragged away within minutes and thrown into patrol cars yelling at officers about their rights and saying: ‘What you are doing is illegal’.  Irate drivers were seen rowing, jostling and even spitting at the protesters on the M11 at J8 near Stansted before more Essex officers dragged the troublemakers off the road.

There were also successful protests at J3 and J9 of the M25 as well a group at J1 of the M3. Some threw blue paint on the road, which led to police deciding to shut junctions for even longer to clean it off. 

One protester called Sandy, 31, who works as a teacher, told the Sun Online: ‘On Monday and Wednesday there was a lot of screaming at us from motorists. Today, we’re well protected by the police and there’s less opportunity for it.’

The activist said she had now been arrested three times next week, adding: ‘I feel calm. It’s out of my hands now. If I’m released, I will come back here. Losing my job is a small concern compared to what’s coming if we don’t lower our carbon emissions.’

Another activist Oliver, 41, from London, added: ‘The police wouldn’t interview us when they arrested us earlier this week – they all just released us with no bail conditions. I told two officers I was going out to commit the crime again. They just advised against it.’

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps urged police to take ‘swift action to clear the roads’. He wrote on Twitter: ‘This is dangerous and counterproductive. We all agree that climate change must be tackled, but this sort of behaviour achieves nothing, puts drivers at risk and INCREASES pollution. I expect the police to take swift action to clear the roads.’  

One officer holding two young women by the arms told them ‘not to move’ or they would go into cuffs. Several of the people arrested have been held for the third time – and were filmed being dragged off the road within minutes, rather than the hours it has taken earlier in the week.

But Surrey Police failed to stop them doing the same for the third morning, with a group now sitting on the junction 9 sliproad with long queues already building on the main carriageway. They also dumped blue paint on the highway. 

They were are also at junction three at Swanley in Kent while a group also popped up at junction 1 of the M3, at Sunbury and at junction 8 of the M11 near Stansted.

There is anger that they have been repeatedly arrested then released.

Hertfordshire Police said in a statement: ‘With the offences they were arrested for on Monday there is no power in law to remand them. They will face a court when the CPS have agreed that there is sufficient evidence to charge them with an offence, for which we need to gather evidence and build a case, considering the actions taken by all the protesters’.

It came as Priti Patel ordered police to take ‘decisive action’ against the ‘selfish’ eco-protesters and described the ‘guerrilla tactics’ of Insulate Britain as ‘completely unacceptable’ after the eco-group held traffic at four of the busiest junctions of the M25 on Wednesday. They shut five on Monday and at least two so far on Friday.   

Ms Patel said the police had the Government’s full support. But she warned: ‘They must uphold the law and take decisive action. This kind of disruption is dangerous and takes police away from communities where they are needed most.’ 

She also took warned the Government would ‘not allow selfish protesters’ to disrupt the lives of Britons, adding: ‘Peaceful protest is a cornerstone of our democracy and there will always be space for legitimate groups to make their voices heard.

‘But this Government will not stand by and allow a small minority of selfish protesters to cause significant disruption to the lives and livelihoods of the hard-working majority.

‘The guerrilla tactics used by Insulate Britain detract from their cause and I know the public will agree that the scenes on the M25 this week were completely unacceptable.’  

Ms Patel also vowed to target disruptive protests such as Insulate Britain’s with the Government’s new Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts bill. 

Under the proposals, which are due to go before the House of Lords next week, police will be given greater powers to impose conditions on protests, allowing officers to close down demonstrations quicker.

Organisers who breach conditions will face up to six months in prison, while fines of up to £2,500 will be handed out to those who take part in ‘illegal’ protests. 

By Midday police had arrested at least 58 protesters after they blockaded the M25 for the third time in a week.

Kent Police confirmed it had made 10 arrests of activists who had blocked the M25 exit slip road at Junction 3 at the Swanley Interchange. 

Surrey Police said it had made 14 arrests in connection to the protest at Leatherhead and 10 at the M3 interchange and 10 arrests at junction 1 of the M3.

Essex Police said a total of 24 people had been arrested – 15 on the M25 and another 9 people on the M11. Activists were pictured sat in a line across the road, wearing fluorescent orange hi-vis vests and holding ‘Insulate Britain’ banners.

In Essex, officers prevented 12 protesters from the campaign group from making it onto the road at the Brook Street roundabout near Brentwood. But a further eight climate protestors managed to partially block the road.

Further activists blockaded the M11 at the junction with the A120 in Essex. Essex Police said a total of 24 people had been arrested – 15 on the M25 and another 9 people on the M11.

It is the third time this week that activists have blocked the UK’s busiest road – causing commuters heavy delays.

Insulate Britain said many of the protestors had only been released by police hours before they returned to the roads. 

It comes as members of the eco-group warned officers they would do it again after being released the first time and vowed to hold a third protest ‘as soon as possible’ in another humiliation for soft-touch police.

Insulate Britain also revealed that officers have only bailed 17 of the 181 activists – many of whom have already been arrested on two occasions – meaning that they are free to try to block Britain’s busiest motorway again. 

In a statement the group, an offshoot of Extinction Rebellion demanding Boris Johnson pays for all social housing to be fully insulated, said: ‘People from Insulate Britain involved in blocking the M25 on Wednesday and released from custody told the police that they would repeat the protest as soon as possible. 

‘In the early hours of this morning, 89 people were released from several different custody centres across South East England, despite informing officers of their intent to continue taking action until the government gets on with the job of insulating the nation’s leaky homes. 

‘The majority were released (yesterday) without bail conditions. Some were released despite having broken bail conditions imposed on Monday which prohibited their return to the highway. 

‘Before being released from custody (yesterday) the campaigners handed the police a clear personal statement of their intent to continue taking action until the government agrees to their demands. They were told by police that the statements would be held ‘on their files”.  

Among those who shut down the M25 at its busiest junctions twice in 48 hours despite being arrested were Cameron Ford, a 30-year-old carpenter, and climate activist and retired doctor Bing Jones. Other ringleaders included an organic farmer who compares himself to Mahatma Gandhi, a puppeteer, a vegan ‘business coach’ and a ‘rebel’ IT project manager.  

Police meanwhile have been accused of failing to enforce the law after it was revealed that eco-extremists arrested for shutting down the M25 during the Monday morning rush hour were simply set free without bail conditions and allowed to do the same 48 hours later as officers again ‘stood around for hours before doing anything’. 

One officer sparked outrage after she addressed a group of activists breaking the law by blocking the road and told them: ‘If you have got any questions at all just ask. And if any of you are in any discomfort or need anything just let me know and we will try and sort you out in a nice way’. 

There have 181 arrests in total – for offences including public nuisance, obstructing the highway and conspiracy to cause danger to road users – but that figure includes those held twice in three days.

Surrey Police said officers made 33 arrests at Junctions 8 and 10 for offences including public nuisance, obstructing the highway and conspiracy to cause danger to road users.

Of these arrests, 12 were released under investigation, while 21 were released on conditional bail. 

Jerry Westerman, Chief Superintendent with Surrey Police, the force that made the most arrests, appealed for witnesses who may have dashcam footage.

He said: ‘I appreciate that these protests have caused considerable inconvenience and frustration for those caught up in the traffic delays and I can assure you that we are continuing to gather evidence and ensure that those who break the law are brought to justice.

‘I would like to thank all those motorists who got caught up in the delays, both yesterday and on Monday, while we dealt with the incident, for their co-operation and patience.

‘We are continuing to appeal to anyone who witnessed either incident or anyone with any dashcam footage to come forward as you may be able to help us progress our investigation.’

The Met meanwhile said officers arrested 14 people at Junction 25 for obstructing the public highway, following another 17 who were involved in the previous protest on Monday at Junction 14. 

The force identified three people they suspect were the organisers as a 55-year-old man at an address in Walworth, a 45-year-old woman at an address in Milton Keynes, and a 49-year-old man at a location in Torquay.

They were arrested for conspiracy to cause public nuisance over the first protest. 

Met Police Deputy Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor said: ‘It is our view that this behaviour is unsafe and irresponsible, creating risk for themselves, other road users and officers.’ 

Kent Police previously said officers arrested 21 people for obstructing the highway on Wednesday, and Hertfordshire Constabulary said it made 18 arrests.

The Met were asked whether there were any overlaps in arrest figures given by each force, but could not confirm.

Hertfordshire Police said 18 people were arrested for causing disruption on Wednesday – but confirmed they have already released under investigation and subject to community protection notice warnings. 

However Defence Secretary Ben Wallace told LBC’s Nick Ferrari that police should have acted ‘more swiftly’ to remove the assembled eco-mob who caused traffic chaos on one of Britain’s busiest motorways. 

He said: ‘I think that getting a swift resolution to those people sitting in the way of the M25 and not getting in the way of people, many people who are paid by the hour and don’t have sympathetic bosses. Why should they lose their livelihood because somebody wants to sit in the middle of the road?’       

One activist involved in Monday’s demo even boasted to Nick Ferrari on LBC that he had been released by police and not prevented from protesting on Wednesday, comparing the cause to that of Martin Luther King, the Suffragettes and Mahatma Gandhi.      

Furious Conservative MPs Ian Liddell-Grainger and Craig Mackinlay slammed police for ‘standing around for hours at a time before doing anything’ and urged officers to ‘use the powers available to them to clear this protest immediately’. Mr Liddell-Grainger backed ‘much tougher sentences’ for ‘arrogant and stuck-up’ climate anarchists who ’cause immense harm to people’s lives and livelihoods’. 

‘They should have a criminal record and everybody should be made aware of the damage and misery they cause,’ Mr Liddell-Grainger raged. ‘Their whole plan, of sowing chaos to our lives in this way, just won’t fly with the British public because they don’t kowtow to bullies. 

‘They cannot be allowed to hijack the conversation by threatening to destroy livelihoods if they don’t get their own way. If they have a grievance, they should take it up with their Member of Parliament in the lawful, peaceful way. They can’t just throw a tantrum and sit in the road at whatever cost to other people. If they can’t be adults in this conversation, they shouldn’t be in the conversation at all.’   

On Monday and Wednesday, the same protesters freely blocked motorway junctions and roundabouts across the M25, A3 and Dartford Crossing – and remained free to do so before being arrested, hours later.  

In total, more than 165 arrests have been made by Kent, Hertfordshire, Surrey and Met police forces over the two days of action – but every activist appears to have been fallowed to walk free from custody and return to the road.   

A group on Twitter called UK Police Pensioners United accused officers of ‘aiding and abetting’ the M25 protest by ‘slow reactions and decisions’. It said: ‘None of the M25 forces covered themselves in glory.’ 

Asked why police had failed to act sooner, the Home Office bizarrely said the chaos was a ‘cross-government’ matter for both itself and the Department of Business and Energy. 

The climate zealots boasted of being released after their arrest and despite demonstrating on Monday they were free to cause chaos for motorists again. 

Farmer Roger Hallam, 55, who helped found Extinction Rebellion, before leaving to joining protest organiser Insulate Britain, wants to ‘bring down all the regimes in the world’, starting with Britain, and believes those running society ‘should have a bullet through their heads’. 

There have been allegations of a ‘cult-like’ following for the Welshman who compares his tactics to those of heroic activists Gandhi and Martin Luther King. He is said to have been inspired to take up climate activism after his farm in Wales went bust due to bad weather.  

Ironically, Mr Hallam owns a farmhouse which was described as ‘poorly insulated’ in an official energy performance certificate. His 2,000 sq ft farmhouse in Carmarthen, South Wales, was given the lowest possible energy rating on the certificate. It is unclear if Mr Hallam has taken steps to improve the rating since it was issued six years ago. 

Asked about the certificate last night, a spokesman for the group said: ‘This is the point – UK homes are the leakiest in Europe, with many millions of families being unable to afford the advice and help needed to insulate the building they live in.’

Joining Mr Hallam was David McKenny, 38, from Cambridge, who was one of six XR protesters who ‘doorstepped’ TV wildlife expert Sir David Attenborough, 95, at the height of pandemic after he criticised their tactics. The group posted a letter through Sir David’s door as he isolated due to his age last year. 

Vegan business coach Zoe Cohen, 51, from Lymm, Cheshire, said she joined the protest to demand ‘real action’ from ministers. She was involved in XR’s takeover of central London last month. 

Ms Cohen said then: ‘We are more scared of the reality of what this system is doing to ending life on Earth and ending our future and our children’s future than we are of spending a night in a cell.’ She describes herself as a ‘carbon literate coach’ and ‘XR catalyser’ on social media. 

Janine Eagling, 60, from London, helped to block the M25 and A13 junction. She has been involved with XR since 2018, helping to form blockades across Waltham Forest. 

The IT project manager describes herself online as a ‘world citizen’ and ‘rebel’ as well as a cyclist, walker and gardener. She has overseen IT projects at top universities and was part of a campaign to improve safety for cyclists in the capital. 

Liam Norton, 36, a London electrician who helped organise the protest, said he was ‘shocked at the lack of significant action from our Government’. 

He became involved in climate activism in 2018 when he helped blockade five bridges in the capital and went on to join XR’s ‘actions team’, which is responsible for planning civil disobedience. He was convicted over blocking printing presses last year. 

He delayed court proceedings by gluing himself to a table. It took three hours for police to remove him and the stunt is thought to have cost the taxpayer thousands of pounds.

He told Good Morning Britain: ‘The government is not looking after their citizens. We are. 

‘We’ve got a plan to insulate Britain that gives you the best value for money in terms of reducing emissions. Hundreds of thousands of meaningful jobs will be created.’

Another protester, Steve Gower, 54, from Gloucester, is unemployed but describes himself as a volunteer advocate for the homeless and is an active Unite union campaigner. 

Last summer Gower was ordered to pay £267 by a magistrate after he dropped a cigarette in the street while visiting a Jobcentre. He said that the fine spiralled because he couldn’t afford the reduced fine of £75 and was told there was no opportunity to pay in instalments.  

He was joined at the M25 road blockage by Eli Rose, 26, who spent 16 days in a tree last September to protest the HS2 rail link. 

Ms Rose lived in the tree in Parliament Square because she ‘cannot bear’ knowing her potential future children will be born ‘into a world where they will have to battle through food shortages and drought.’  

It comes as officers took more than two-and-a-half hours to clear off climate protesters who were obstructing Britain’s busiest motorway in videos that sparked fury online.

In one clip, a female officer politely tells activists: ‘If any of you have any questions, or are in any discomfort or need anything, just let us know’ – while stricken motorists couldn’t get to work, hospitals and appointments.

Another video showed an officer standing with his hands in his pockets on his own and being met with silence after asking the demonstrators which of them had organised Wednesday’s protest. 

He then told them, ‘I’m going to have to ask you to move’ before awkwardly leaving. 

Meanwhile, police had to restrain incensed truck drivers who desperately tried to move eco-warriors who had glued their hands to the road. 

Chief Superintendent Richard Liversidge, of Herts Police, said: ‘Police received calls alerting us to a protest near junction 1 (South Mimms) of the A1M shortly after 8am on Wednesday. Patrolling officers were at the scene by 8.08am and were faced with a challenging situation in which protestors had blocked the carriageway and glued themselves to the tarmac.