7 arrested after protestors climbed gantries on the M25 near Kings Langley

Seven people have been arrested after protests closed down the M25 in Hertfordshire – including at Junction 20 near Kings Langley.

And while the road is currently clear, police say they are keeping an eye on the situation.

Hertfordshire Police were alerted to the protests at around 7.35am when they were called to Junction 22 (London Colney) where people were attempting to climb gantries over the motorway.

Road closures were put in place and police managed to prevent some of the protestors from climbing the gantry. They were arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to cause public nuisance.

One of the protestors had secured themselves to the gantry, and specially trained officers were brought in to remove them. After they were removed and arrested, the road closures were lifted at 10.30am.

But just minutes later police were made aware of further protests at Junction 20, near Kings Langley – and the M25 was closed again.

Two people were immediately arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to cause a public nuisance. A protestor had secured themself to a gantry and once again the specially trained officers were brought in.

The protestor was arrested at 12.12pm and officers began reopening 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.”