Climate activists deflate tyres on SUVs in Manchester with notes left on windscreens

Climate activists in Manchester have deflated tyres on SUVs parked leaving notes on vehicles targeted saying, "it's not personal - it's your car."

The group, calling itself 'The Tyre Extinguishers' claimed 26 so-called sports utility vehicles were hit in Didsbury.

On Twitter, the group says vehicles in Bacup, Lancashire, were also targeted overnight.

A similar incident occurred in March earlier this year, when angry motorists hit out after tyres of SUVs parked on streets around Burton Road in West Didsbury were targeted in a similar manner.

One of the vehicles affected was an electric car parked in Beaufort Avenue.

One victim said: "It's not just an inconvenience. My wife's pregnant and I need to get her to hospital at some point.

"If I can't do that because my car tyres have been let down, I've got to call an ambulance which takes that off of the road for somebody else, which is frankly dangerous and irresponsible."

The group says it is operating under the aim to make it impossible to own an SUV in urban areas of the UK, claiming they are unnecessary 'luxury emissions' that contribute to air pollution and pose a danger on roads.

It says on its website: "SUVs and 4x4s are a disaster for our health, our public safety and our climate. Bigger and bigger cars are dominating our towns and cities, and all so a privileged few can flaunt their wealth.

"Because governments and politicians have failed to protect us from this danger, we must protect ourselves. We want to make it impossible to own a huge polluting 4x4 in the world's urban areas.

"We do this by deflating the tyres of these massive, unnecessary vehicles, causing inconvenience and expense for their owners."

The group goes on to claim that because SUVs are bigger and heavier than other cars, they are 'more polluting and use more fuel'.

Greater Manchester Police have been approached for comment.