Five More Arrested After M25 Protests Bring Surrey Traffic Chaos
Surrey police have made five fresh arrests today following another disruptive morning on the M25 motorway. From 7:30am, officers sprang into action at multiple spots along the Surrey stretch to tackle activists causing blockades.
Police Scale Gantries to Clear Protesters
With support from National Highways, traffic was halted while specialist officers trained to work at heights climbed motorway gantries to remove the protesters. By 10:30am, all activists had been arrested and the road was reopened.
Six other suspects arrested yesterday have now been charged and are set to appear in court today.
Supt Barnett: “This Is Criminal Disruption, Not Peaceful Protest”
“Make no mistake, what we are seeing this week is not peaceful protest. It is large-scale, coordinated criminality disrupting the lives of thousands of people trying to get about their daily business,” said Superintendent Graham Barnett from Surrey and Sussex Operations Command.
“Our top priority remains the safety of other road users, as well as protecting officers who risk their lives climbing gantries to remove these activists and get traffic flowing again. This dangerous behaviour puts the public and police at risk and diverts vital resources from fighting other crime in our communities.”
“Charges have been brought against those arrested yesterday and we continue working with the Crown Prosecution Service to pursue charges against today’s offenders. We’re also working with other forces to carry out proactive patrols and intelligence-led pre-emptive arrests. But it’s simply not sustainable to police hundreds of gantries around the M25 indefinitely.”
Who Was Arrested Today?
- Two men, aged 60 and 68
- Three women, aged 19, 31 and 56
Charged Protesters from Monday’s M25 Blockade
- Anthony Whitehouse, 71, Dewsbury, West Yorkshire – charged with causing a public nuisance and criminal damage.
- Callum Goode, 23, Ashbourne, Derbyshire – charged with causing a public nuisance.
- Anna Retallack, 59, Falmouth, Cornwall – charged with causing a public nuisance.
- Arne Springorum, no fixed address – charged with causing a public nuisance.
- Catherine Rennie-Nash, 72, Kendal, Cumbria – charged with causing a public nuisance.
- Darcy Mitchell, 48, Staverton, Devon – charged with causing a public nuisance.
