Some seven people have been arrested in connection with protest activity on the M25 in Hertfordshire today (Monday, November 7). These arrests have formed part of a national operational response to protest activity.
At around 7.35am this morning, Herts Police were made aware that protestors were attempting to climb gantries at junction 22 (London Colney) of the M25.
Officers were on the scene within minutes, putting necessary road closures in place before making swift arrests, successfully preventing a number of people from gaining access to the gantry. They were arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to cause public nuisance.
One person had secured themselves to the gantry at junction 22. Protest Removal Team officers, specially trained to remove those at height, were deployed to the scene, working quickly to bring the incident to a safe conclusion. They were removed and arrested by 10.30am, and road closures were lifted.
Shortly after, at around 10.35am, we were made aware of further protest activity at junction 20 (Kings Langley). Officers were deployed to the scene and a necessary road closure was put in place. Two people were immediately arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to cause a public nuisance. One person had secured themselves to the gantry, and was safely removed by specially trained officers and arrested at 12.12pm, and officers began re-opening the roads.
Superintendent Sue Jameson, who led the police response, said: “We responded quickly, however, the complexities of the incident meant it took some time to resolve safely and responsibly. Seven arrests were made in total, with their specialist equipment seized.
“It goes without saying that the actions of those arrested are totally unacceptable – not only is it incredibly dangerous but it also causes disruption and inconvenience to people who are simply trying to go about their daily lives.
“We understand the frustration and would like to reassure the public that we have robust plans in place and are doing all that we can to minimise the disruption and allow us to make arrests as quickly as we possibly can. Thank you very much for your patience whilst we dealt with these incidents. The M25 for Hertfordshire is currently clear, though we continue to monitor the situation.”
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