National & International

Just Stop Oil protests: Police officer hurt due to M25 disruption

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A police officer has been injured on the M25 amid climate protests which closed parts of the motorway in Kent, Surrey, Essex and Hertfordshire.

The police motorcyclist was hurt in a collision which also involved two lorries at a rolling roadblock.

Two people have been arrested for causing a public nuisance.

The Just Stop Oil group, which is protesting for a third day, said about 10 activists had climbed on overhead gantries “in multiple locations”.

Essex Police provided no information on the condition of the officer, who was injured between junctions 26 (Waltham Abbey) and 27 (Theydon).

Officers had been called after a person was spotted on the carriageway, and a rolling roadblock was put in place.

Two people were then arrested as they tried to access gantries over the M25, an Essex Police spokesman said.

Essex Police says all sections of the M25 in the county have re-opened.

The disruption comes as the COP27 climate summit is held in Egypt.

Surrey Police said one protester had been removed from a gantry near junction eight and arrested for public nuisance.

The force said: “Officers are proactively patrolling the rest of the M25, as they have been all week.”

Kent Police said protests in Essex were causing disruption at the Dartford crossing for traffic leaving Kent.

Just Stop Oil said in a statement: “This is not a one-day event, expect us every day and anywhere.”

It also said the collision of two lorries and the injury to the police officer was “an awful situation”.

The group is urging an end to the use of fossil fuels, investment in renewable energy sources and improved building insulation to reduce energy waste.

IMAGE SOURCE: SURREY POLICE

 

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