Tyres on at least 60 vehicles at a Land Rover dealership in Exeter have been ruined in retaliation over a crash in Wimbledon that killed two eight-year-old girls.

The group, known as the Tyre Extinguishers, posted a video online appearing to show someone with a drill at the Devon garage.

It comes after Nuria Sajjad and Selena Lau were killed when a Land Rover smashed through a fence into their school, The Study Prep, in Wimbledon on 6 July.

A number of others were injured.

A 46-year-old woman from Wimbledon was arrested at the scene on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving, and has since been bailed.

Tyre Extinguishers said in a statement: “Tyre Extinguishers destroyed all the tyres on at least 60 vehicles at Jaguar Exeter, Matford Way.

“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.

“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.”

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

Read more:
Climate activists reveal plan to target thousands more SUV drivers – and won’t stop even if they cause accidents
Environmental activists claim to have ‘disarmed’ nearly 2,000 SUVs in one month

Devon and Cornwall Police said it is “aware of criminal damage having occurred” and “inquiries continue”.

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

Tyre Extinguishers, which began its action in 2022, aims to “make it impossible” to own an SUV in urban areas, calling the vehicles “a climate disaster”, “dangerous” and “unnecessary”.

The group also calls electric and hybrid SUVs “fair game”, arguing there are “not enough rare earth metals” to replace all cars with them, and “the danger to other road users still stands”.

Related posts:

‘We want this lockdown to be the last’, says PM plans for ‘irreversible’ easing of COVID restrictions Will the UK meet its next COVID vaccine target? Here’s what the data suggests More than half of people support Met police handling of Sarah Everard vigil – survey Paralympic world champion ‘speechless’ after being told her sprint briefs ‘too short and inappropriate’ ‘It became normalised’: Ex-parliamentary adviser says Yvette Cooper received 50 death threats a week Pandemic shines ‘harsh light’ on rising obesity in young people In pictures: Storm Franklin fells trees and brings more flooding Jail sentences of two men who kidnapped teen before she was found seriously injured referred for being ‘unduly lenient’ Smiling Queen views hand-crafted artefacts at Windsor to mark Platinum Jubilee Britain’s substandard bridges: Where are they and why are their numbers on the rise? Civil servants to go on strike, affecting ports, borders and transport over holiday period Tank full of Santas gets stuck during festive pub crawl