Just Stop Oil supporter from Biggleswade charged over M25 gantry climb

A Just Stop Oil supporter from Biggleswade was among a number of activists arrested on Wednesday after climbing on to a gantry on the M25.

Theresa Higginson, 24, a business owner and retail worker from Biggleswade, was charged with intentionally or recklessly causing a public nuisance. She was remanded in custody following her arrest and appeared before Basildon Magistrates Court yesterday, where she was bailed until her next hearing on December 8.

Around 50 Just Stop Oil supporters climbed on to the overhead gantries of the M25 this week causing Police to close large sections of the motorway.

The action followed a month of daily disruption and civil resistance by supporters of Just Stop Oil during which the police made over 700 arrests.

A Just Stop Oil spokesman said the Metropolitan Police and National Highways were notified there would be major disruption on the M25, and asked them to implement a 30mph speed limit, in line with their responsibilities to keep the public safe, but it’s understood this didn’t happen.

Since the campaign began on April 1, more than 2,000 Just Stop Oil supporters, demanding the government stops all new UK oil and gas projects, have been arrested with more than 25 supporters currently in prison.

The gantry climbing actions coincided as world leaders met at COP27 - the international climate talks in Egypt.

> Just Stop Oil announced this morning that it has paused its campaign of civil resistance to give “time to those in Government who are in touch with reality to consider their responsibilities to this country at this time.”