Police have arrested 16 Just Stop Oil protesters following a second day of disruption on the M25.

The climate change group claims its activists were involved in blocking parts of the motorway from 7am on Tuesday by climbing onto overhead gantries.

Essex Police said a protester climbed onto the gantry at junction 31, causing the Dartford Tunnel to be closed.

Traffic was stopped in both directions, holding up hundreds of motorists at rush hour.

Just Stop Oil also targeted at least six other locations on the M25.

The Metropolitan Police said a total of 16 protesters were arrested on the M25 this morning in a joint operation with Essex, Surrey and Kent police.

Just Stop Oil is calling on the government to halt all new fossil fuel licences in the North Sea.

Just Stop Oil protesters force parts of M25 to shut as activists scale motorway gantries

Just Stop Oil activists spray orange paint over Home Office, MI5, News UK and Bank of England buildings

Just Stop Oil activists spray orange paint on Rolex store in Knightsbridge

The group’s tactics are controversial, with many environmental experts claiming they are more divisive than they are helpful to the overall cause.

One of the people involved in Tuesday’s protest was 53-year-old social worker Charlotte Kirin from Bury St Edmunds.

She said she would “not turn my back on people whose lives are being destroyed for rich men’s profit”.

Edred Whittingham, a 25-year-old student from Cambridge also involved, said that “politics is broken in this country and it’s up to everyday people to fix it”.

Eight charged with conspiring to cause public nuisance

Just Stop Oil said that since it began staging protests in April, 2,000 arrests have been made and five are still in prison.

In relation to similar protests staged on the M25 on Monday the Met and Surrey Police forces today announced eight people have been charged with conspiracy to cause a public nuisance.

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