Insulate Britain protesters in Hertfordshire avoid strong police action

Today, the climate activist group announced 117 supporters have been charged over its nationwide road-blocking protests between September and November last year - some 174 people were arrested a total of 857 times during the protests.

They include 146 charges of causing a public nuisance, 137 of wilful obstruction of the highway, and 10 of criminal damage. Insulate Britain says it believes more charges could be added.

Most of the protests took place in and around the M25 including in Hertfordshire, Greater London, Essex, and Kent.

Protesters blocking junction 20 of the M25 in Kings Langley. Credit: LBC

Insulate Britain said today that Kent and Essex police forces were responsible for the charges brought against them, with the Met confirming earlier this month 56 people were facing charges for protests at junctions 14 and 25 of the M25.

Hertfordshire Constabulary was approached this morning for an update on its investigation into Insulate Britain's activity in the county.

Chief Superintendent Nick Caveney, who led the police response to the protests, has confirmed that between September 13 and October 29, his officers arrested 56 people in relation to protest activity in Hertfordshire.

A protester is arrested at junction 18 for the M25 near Chorleywood. Credit: PA

Ch Supt Caveney says all 56 people were issued with community protection warnings which would be upgraded to a notice if anti-social behaviour continued.

The officer said 30 people were later issued with a community protection notice, while two were charged with criminal damage.

Ch Supt Caveney added that a number of people were also pursued by National Highways in relation to the contempt of High Court following the breach of an injunction, which was separate to the police investigation.

Protesters were forced to move out of the way to let an ambulance through at junction 20. Credit: LBC

But there was no indication from Hertfordshire Constabulary that any investigations are ongoing against those it detained, as appears to be the case in other force areas.

However, the force did say that it had provided evidence to other forces, who could potentially be pursuing action against the same people, of protests in its area.

Junctions by Watford, Kings Langley, Chorleywood, South Mimms, and Hatfield were targeted by Insulate Britain in Hertfordshire.

Ch Supt Caveney said: "Our main priority was to minimise the disruption caused to local residents, businesses and road users. We employed robust plans in order to achieve this, which allowed us to make arrests and clear the incidents swiftly, in most cases before protestors even managed to get on to the carriageway.

"We fully supported National Highways with their investigation and worked in partnership in order to secure convictions.

"We also supported neighbouring forces with evidence of offences in Hertfordshire, as several protestors were involved in incidents in multiple force areas."

Protesters at junction 20 for the M25

Prior to this wave of charges from other police forces, activists had only faced civil action. Fourteen were jailed for breaking injunctions banning protests on the M25.

Insulate Britain said public nuisance prosecutions can result in a maximum sentence of up to five years in prison and an unlimited fine.

Cameron Ford, 31, a carpenter from Cambridge who is summoned to appear at Crawley Magistrates’ Court on April 4, said: "The CPS (Crown Prosecution Service) undertaking these mass prosecutions is an attempt by our Government to ignore and avoid addressing the biggest dangers facing people right now.

"By not insulating Britain’s leaky homes they are knowingly condemning millions more families to live in fuel poverty and thousands and thousands of our elderly to die in frozen homes next winter."