Mastermind of eco mob Just Stop Oil nicked after The Sun blew whistle on plot to block motorway network
THE mastermind behind eco mob Just Stop Oil was nicked last night after The Sun blew the whistle on their plot to block the motorway network.
Roger Hallam, 56, was being questioned after we told police his group were planning to scale motorway gantries on the M25 today and bring traffic to a standstill.
Two more activists were also arrested last night.
And in another victory for the people by The Sun, National Highways yesterday secured a High Court injunction to prevent protesters disrupting the road.
Despite the injunction eco-idiots have still invaded the motorway, climbing into gantries and blocking busy junctions.
Today police say they have reports of protesters on the motorway gantries at junction 6, one between junctions 8-9, one between junctions 13-12 southbound and one between junctions 13-14.
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Photos shows rows of traffic stuck on the motorway as cops try to deal with the situation.
But the eco-zealots' plans for action every day until Christmas by dangling over gantries have been foiled by The Sun. The yobs could have cost billions to Britain’s already battered economy.
Hallam’s arrest came after we infiltrated a meeting on Wednesday and passed on recordings to police of the hardline green campaigners’ plot.
We were then invited to join the Met’s Territorial Support Group as officers smashed through Hallam’s front door at his flat in Kennington, South London.
He was not at home but bags of evidence, including a laptop, were removed.
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The Met Police later confirmed a 56-year-old man had been arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit public nuisance.
Hallam was still in custody last night. Assistant Commissioner Matt Twist said: “Our investigation has reason to suspect the Just Stop Oil group intend to disrupt major motorway networks which would risk serious harm to the public, with reckless action to obstruct the public on a large scale.”
He said it is possible more are still intent on causing unlawful disruption today and urged the public to remain vigilant.
On Wednesday, The Sun listened as activists unveiled plans for weeks of action to stop cars flowing on the M25 — used by 200,000 motorists every day.
One member boasted: “It is almost impossible to stop. We will not back down.”
Organic farmer Hallam, the co-founder of another green mob, Extinction Rebellion, vowed: “This is not just another action. It’s potentially the most significant act of civil disobedience in decades.
“If it goes on for two days, fine. It it’s three or four it is the biggest disruption in British history.”
Boasting to fellow members of his credentials when it comes to bringing Britain to a halt, he laughed: “I have a bit of a knack.
"We need to get on to the gantries — there’s thousands of them. We have prototyped this.
“If we engage in such massive economic disruption, the Government can’t ignore us.
“We need to step up, we aren’t here for pats on the back.”
He went on to say ex-PM Tony Blair’s “most terrifying moment of his premiership was not the Iraq War but when people closed the motorways over fuel prices”.
A female ringleader, who said her name was Lucia, gave more details of the gantry occupation.
She said: “There’s hundreds and hundreds. It’s impossible to police. It’s going to be enormous.”
But their plans were scuppered when National Highways won a High Court injunction acting on The Sun’s information.
It means anyone on the motorway to fix themselves to any object or structure on it, and anyone who helps them, can be held in contempt of court. They face jail, an unlimited fine and seizure of their assets.
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Transport Secretary Mark Harper said he instructed National Highways to tackle a “reckless minority of protesters”.
The roads agency said it will “do whatever it can to deter unlawful protest activity and punish all of those who breach the injunction orders”.