Just Stop Oil protest: At least 20 arrested in Surrey after allegedly damaging fuel pumps on M25
At least 20 people have been arrested after allegedly damaging fuel pumps and gluing themselves to forecourts at the Clacket Lane and Cobham service stations on the M25.
Environmental group Just Stop Oil tweeted pictures of its members blocking a petrol station forecourt as rush hour began on Wednesday.
Images shared online showed protesters bearing the group's banners at Clacket Lane services, Kent; Cobham services, Surrey, and Thurrock services in Essex.
The climate group said 32 of its supporters blocked access to fuel pumps by sitting in the road with banners from around 5am.
Some also sabotaged petrol pumps by breaking display glass and covering them with spray paint.
Surrey Police said officers were “working as quickly as we can to remove the protesters from the service stations”.
The force said people had been arrested at protests at service stations along the M25 on Wednesday morning.
No petrol was available at either Clacket Lane or Cobham Services during the protests earlier, but fuel was accessible from some pumps by mid-morning after the protesters had been removed from the sites, police said.
Thirteen people were arrested at the service stations, and officers said they were continuing to remove protesters from the westbound petrol station. A further seven arrests were made at Cobham.
“We appreciate the disruption this is causing and we are working as quickly as we can to remove the protesters from the service stations,” police said earlier.
Members of Just Stop Oil have launched a series of protests on roads across the UK, as activists push for an end to the use of fossil fuels.
Just Stop Oil tweeted on Wednesday Morning: "Disruption will continue across the UK until @10DowningStreet issues a meaningful statement to commit to halting all NEW oil & gas projects.
"The time for action is now."
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