Officer hit and injured after lorries crash with police bike as eco mob causes havoc on M25 again
9 November 2022, 08:17 | Updated: 9 November 2022, 11:06
A police officer has been struck and injured and two lorries crashed as eco protesters returned to cause chaos on the M25 for a third day.
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The officer was hurt setting up a rolling roadblock as police responded to people trying to scale motorway gentries at Junctions 26 and 27.
Two lorries and a police motorbike crashed as the roadblock was set up, which Just Stop Oil admitted was "awful".
The rider was not seriously injured, police said, and a person has been arrested for causing a public nuisance.
Chief Superintendent Simon Anslow said: "Officers have again responded quickly to minimise disruption and two people have already been arrested.
"One of our officers has been injured as they worked to help resolve this situation.
"Our roads policing officers are dedicated, specialist officers who come to work to serve the public and keep you safe on our roads.
"They do this tirelessly, day-in day-out. Sadly, this morning one of these fantastic officers has been injured while carrying out this work.
"My thoughts are with them and their family. I want to thank the public for their support, patience and understanding while we work to resolve this situation."
Just Stop Oil, which demands an end to any awarding of new oil and gas licences, said in a statement: "The collision of two lorries and the injury of a police officer on the M25 this morning is an awful situation.
"The level of disruption being witnessed on the M25 should not be happening - people are rightly angry and frustrated.
"The impact on peoples lives is huge. In normal circumstances this would be unacceptable. It should never have come to this.
"The failure of our politics has left us with no other option as we seek to protect our rights and freedoms from a collapse in law and order due to a heating world."
Just Stop Oil protestors also climbed gantries at two junctions in the morning - Junction 8, in Surrey, and Junction 30, in Essex.
A spokesperson for Surrey Police said: "There is one protester on a gantry near junction 8 but at the moment traffic is flowing normally.
"Officers are proactively patrolling the rest of the M25, as they have been all week."
It is the third day of protests but the first time this week an officer has been injured.
Read more: 'We'll win in the end': Eco activist likens road protests to Suffragettes as he defends blocking M25
Police said they were trying to keep as much of the motorway open as possible but were concerned for motorists' safety.
Just Stop Oil said in a statement: "This is not a one-day event, expect us every day and anywhere.
"This is an act of resistance against a criminal government and their genocidal death project.
"Our supporters will be returning today, tomorrow and the next day, and the next day after that, and every day until our demand is met: no new oil and gas in the UK."
Narcisa Tirpoca, 27, a photography student affiliated with Animal Rebellion who was demonstrating at junction 13 on the M25 today: "We need rapid and decisive politics right now. People are dying in this country due to fuel poverty and millions have been displaced worldwide due to the impacts of the climate crisis.
"We don't need another COP, the solutions are right in front of us and need to be put into place. We need the immediate halt of all new fossil fuel licensing, coupled with a switch to renewables, a plant-based food system, and rewilding."
It comes after they blocked 11 junctions on the motorway in Tuesday.
And in shameful scenes, LBC's reporter Charlotte Lynch was arrested and detained for several hours as she covered the disruptive eco mob.
Just Stop Oil believe its campaigners have been arrested more than 2,000 times since its campaign started on April 1.
A total of 15 are in prison.
