Eco-mob Insulate Britain block M25 for fifth time as they run on to main carriageway near Woking

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Road-blocking eco-zealots have dramatically escalated their protests today by recklessly running into moving rush hour traffic on the main M25 carriageway.

Members of the disruptive eco-mob Insulate Britain have been filmed blocking traffic on the motorway near junction 10 in Surrey this morning.

One video shows a group of drivers having to brake quickly to avoid hitting a group of protesters. The group has been slammed for ‘putting drivers’ lives at risk’.

It is the fifth time in eight days that the eco-warriors – who are demanding the Government reduce home heating emissions to zero – have blocked Britain’s busiest road. 

The latest protest last around 40 minutes and involved around 30 protesters split between each side of the eight lane motorway. The group are seen running out into one carriageway, before sitting down and unfurling Insulate Britain banners.

The other group of protesters then make their move, forcing drivers to brake to avoid a collision. Video shows members of the group with their hands stuck to the carriageway by glue. Surrey police say they have arrested 23 people in relation to the protest.

The eco-mob have been slammed for their protest today. A driving instructor, responding to the video on social media, said this morning: ‘Am I really seeing this!!! Walking front of traffic on an active motorway in rush hour is putting every single drivers life at immediate risk, not to mention the protesters. Truly shocking.’

Meanwhile, RAC road safety spokesman Simon Williams told MailOnline: ‘However well-intentioned the cause might be, blocking motorways is incredibly dangerous both to the protesters and those inside their vehicles. 

‘Not only will this cause disruption to commuters on their way to work, but there may be people who miss hospital appointments or worse still emergency vehicles will be delayed which could pose a threat to life.’ 

Today’s demonstration will heap yet more pressure on Home Secretary Priti Patel to take action, after MPs called for the cabinet minister to tell police chiefs in the London area to ‘step up or step down’ after officers were criticised for their handling of the protests.

The group yesterday penned an open letter to the Home Secretary offering a ‘profound apology’ for their actions as they called for an ‘open dialogue’ over their demands.

But they vowed to continue their protests, saying they will not stop until they receive a ‘meaningful statement’ from the Government over home insulation.

Spokesperson Liam Norton said today: ‘The idea that people would suddenly decide insulating our leaky homes is a bad idea as a result of our campaign is frankly laughable. We are simply asking the Government to get on with the job.

‘The people of Britain understand that climate change is a severe threat to everything they hold dear. They are looking to the Government for leadership. 

‘We have a practical solution and have received encouragement for our aims from many construction industry professionals.’

Video from the latest protest, which began around 8am this morning, shows the eco-warriors standing on both sides of carriageway waiting to run across.

In one video, a handful of police in yellow hi-vis jackets, outnumbered by protesters in orange hi-vis outfits, are shown pulling members of the group from oncoming traffic.

But as considerate drivers slow down – in fear of harming the protesters – the eco-mob see their opportunity and charge into the road. They are later seen sitting down while holding ‘Insulate Britain’ banners. 

Then, in separate video, another group of protesters on the other side of the motorway prepare to do the same.

The group stop the traffic and attempt to sit down, leading a police officer to attempt to pull one protester away.

But eventually the traffic stops and the group, like their eco-mob friends on the other side, then sit down and unveil their banners. 

It comes as yesterday the group infuriated drivers with a fourth protest in seven days.  

Then, in a remarkable twist, the group sent shared an open letter to Home Secretary Priti Patel to ‘profoundly apologise’ for the disruption they have caused.

The group wrote to the Home Secretary in an effort to begin an ‘open dialogue’ and plead with her to ‘demonstrate leadership’.

In their letter Insulate Britain said: ‘We wish to profoundly apologise for the disruption we have caused over past week on the M25 motorway. We cannot imagine undertaking such acts in normal circumstances. But, like you and other Conservatives, we believe that the reality of our situation has to be faced.’

The group went on to say: ‘We will lose our incomes, pensions, and savings while passing a hellish legacy onto our children. Around the world thousands of millions of people will lose their lives through slaughter and starvation as society collapses.

‘We plead with you to demonstrate leadership. Ask the Prime Minister to make the statement the country wants to hear – that the Government will live up to its responsibilities to protect us.

‘That it will take the lead needed to insulate and retrofit our homes. 

‘That it will now take the decisive action required to enable us, as a country, to get on with the job. So hard working families can both feed their children and keep their homes warm and our country is protected and defended.

‘At this time of national crisis, we have to come together. We deeply appreciate the difficult position you find yourself in at this time. But we hope you will find it within yourself to come and meet with us in open dialogue, not so that we can agree but more that we can understand our differences.

‘As soon as we have a meaningful statement we can all trust, we will immediately call off the campaign. That is all we ask.

‘We apologise again for the disruption and hope to hear your response.’

It comes as Boris Johnson said the group, who are demanding the Government reduce home heating emissions to zero, were doing ‘no favours to their cause’ after their fourth M25 protest in seven days.

Asked if he thought Insulate Britain’s tactics of promoting climate change awareness by blocking motorways were effective or counter productive, the Prime Minister said: ‘I don’t think these people do any favours to their cause.

‘I think that what they do is detract from a very important moral mission that is widely shared by the people of this country.’

Quizzed if the police are doing enough to deal with the demonstrators, he added: ‘We are taking powers to be able to move protestors when they are threatening critical national infrastructure, when they are threatening to do serious economic damage and I think that is entirely right’. 

Meanwhile, Ms Patel last night faced mounting pressure to deal with the eco-zealots – with one Tory MP urging her to tell police chiefs in the Met area to ‘step up or stand down’. 

Ian Liddell-Grainger, Conservative MP for Bridgwater and West Somerset, urged the Home Secretary to order police chiefs get tough on protesters. 

He told MailOnline: ‘I think what Priti Patel needs to do is get Cressida Dick and all the other chief constables in the Met area face-to-face around a table, sit there and read them the riot act.

‘She needs to put that feisty determination that she has to good work and tell them ‘step up and if you can’t then step down’.’

Asked how police should handle the protesters, she said: ‘Arrest them, take them away, charge them. The police need to do their job, which is to uphold law and order.’ 

Meanwhile, Conservative MP Andrew Bridgen said police ‘already had the powers’ to deal with the protesters.

He told MailOnline: ‘They (Insulate Britain) are a bunch of anarchists that are putting people’s lives and livelihoods at risk and they appear to be committing offences with impunity of prosecution.

‘Police have the powers to place conditions of their release that they don’t reoffend and they should be doing this, because they they will be breaching bail conditions and that will be a much more serious offence.

He added: ‘Police already have the powers they need to deal with them, but they are not using them.’

Police arrested 29 of the enviro-militants yesterday but two remained blocking the sliproad after gluing their hands to the Tarmac, as officers were forced to hold back another driver who tried to take the law into his own hands while yelling at the IB protesters: ‘You lot are a bunch of f***ing p***ks’.  The road was finally cleared around 90 minutes after the protest began. 

A statement from the group said: ‘Early (on Monday), Insulate Britain blocked the M25 for a fourth time. Actions will continue until the Government makes a meaningful commitment to insulate all of Britain’s 29 million leaky homes by 2030, and all social housing by 2025.

‘People blocked slip roads and the M25 carriageway itself in a number of locations. Once again, blue paint was poured onto the road, which will require cleaning, leading to further disruption. Many of those blocking the roads today have participated in all four actions to date.’  

Meanwhile, an Insulate Britain spokesperson confirmed the 12 people were arrested as they tried to obstruct the Dartford River Crossing.

Ms Patel had ordered police to take ‘decisive action’ against the ‘selfish’ eco-protesters and described the ‘guerrilla tactics’ of Insulate Britain as ‘completely unacceptable’. 

But critics have demanded to know what she will do to stamp out the problem, and halt the embarrassing cycle of protests, after the eco-warriors completely ignored her. 

Met Commissioner Cressida Dick has been accused of ‘losing control’ of protests again and urged to resign just days after she was granted a two-year extension at Scotland Yard despite her critics including the parents of Stephen Lawrence and Jean Charles de Menezes saying she ‘should have been fired long ago’. 

One Government source told MailOnline the way it had been handled by the police this week was ‘mental’. 

As officers were shown being soft touch and drivers tried to clear the roads themselves, a Metropolitan Police officer was even filmed helping protesters to walk in front of cars and take their places at junction 25 on the M25 where they calmly sat down and blocked the road on Wednesday.  

The Met defended the officer, saying it was for safety reasons, was a ‘dynamic’ decision and did not facilitate the protest. 

Insulate Britain said its ‘actions will continue until the Government makes a meaningful commitment to insulate all of Britain’s 29 million leaky homes by 2030, which are among the oldest and most energy inefficient in Europe’.