The Daily Telegraph

Just Stop Oil sets sights on Midlands in war on traffic

- By Martin Evans CRIME EDITOR

JUST STOP OIL is to start disrupting traffic across the Midlands after calling a temporary halt to its M25 protests, The Daily Telegraph has learnt.

The environmen­tal group, which has caused misery across the South East during the past week, said it was pausing its campaign of illegal road blocks.

But intelligen­ce obtained by the police and other agencies suggests it will begin a new wave of disruption next week by targeting the M6, M42 and M5 motorways.

A source said: “This might be a ceasefire, but it is not the end of the war. Their plan is to keep shifting around the country to cause maximum impact.”

It is also thought the group is considerin­g targeting oil refineries and depots as well as motorways and major roads. The Kingsbury oil terminal at Tamworth, Staffs, is close to junction 9 of the M42 and could be one of the sites to be hit.

In August, Just Stop Oil tunnelled under two roads near the Navigator oil storage depot in Grays, Essex, in an attempt to disrupt supplies.

Almost 60 activists have been charged over the M25 action and could face up to 10 years in prison if convicted of causing a public nuisance.

But the group has promised its members will not be deterred from continuing to take action until the Government stops issuing new oil and gas licences.

Yesterday, Just Stop Oil announced that the action on the M25 was being paused. A spokesman said: “We are giving time to those in government who are in touch with reality to consider their responsibi­lities to this [country].”

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