Activists destroy Land Rover tyres in 'retaliation' for two girls killed after car crashed into their school party

7 August 2023, 15:20 | Updated: 7 August 2023, 15:33

Dozens of Land Rovers have had their tyres destroyed by activists because in retaliation for a crash in Wimbledon that killed two girls.

The "Tyre Extinguishers" say they slashed the tyres on at least 60 vehicles at a dealership in Exeter.

The group, which wants to make SUV ownership effectively impossible, posted a video of an activist taking a drill to the wheels of cars at night.

They said on Twitter it was a kind of revenge for the deaths of Nuria Sajjad and Selena Lau, both eight, who were killed when a Land Rover crashed into them at Study Preparatory School in south west London last month.

"TX TAKES RESPONSIBILITY FOR LAND ROVER DEALERSHIP TYRE DESTRUCTION," the group tweeted.

"[NOTE: We are not responsible for actions, we simply publicise them]

"Last night TX destroyed tyres on at least 60 vehicles at Jaguar Exeter, after a Land Rover killed 2 innocent girls in Wimbledon in July."

A seven-month-old baby was among those injured last month when a Land Rover ploughed through a fence and crashed into an end of term party. The infant and others who were taken to hospital were discharged.

A 46-year-old woman from Wimbledon was arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving after the tragedy in July.

She has since been bailed.

Read more: Children injured in Wimbledon crash all out of hospital, including seven-month baby, as arrested woman re-bailed

The group said in a statement: "SUVs are eight times more likely to kill children in crashes than smaller cars.

"This act of retaliation is intended as a peaceful and non-violent demonstration to draw attention to the presence of grossly-inappropriate private vehicles in our towns and cities."

It added: "Tyre Extinguishers firmly believes that their action is a necessary escalation to try and stop these vehicles from wrecking further lives and continuing to push the worsening climate crisis off the cliff edge.

Read more: Second girl, 8, dies after Wimbledon school crash as family pay tribute to 'light of their lives'

"The group hopes that this action will serve as a wake-up call for all stakeholders to unite in their efforts to prevent future tragedies and make our roads safer for everyone."

The activists have targeted SUVs in cities and says it opposes them on environmental grounds, and even opposes hybrid or electric ones because they say there are not enough "rare earth metals".

Last year, the group claimed it had let down tyres on vehicles in Chelsea, Chiswick, Harley Street, Hampstead Heath, Notting Hill, Belgravia, Clapham, Brighton, Bristol, Cambridge, Sheffield, Liverpool and Edinburgh in a protest aimed at keeping them off roads.

Devon and Cornwall Police said it is investigating the damage at the dealership.

A spokesman for Vertu Motors, the owner of Jaguar Exeter, said: "Trespass and damage to private property are not acceptable. The matter is now in the hands of the police."