Just Stop Oil co-founder among five protesters jailed for plot to block M25

Five Just Stop Oil protesters, including one of its co-founders, have been jailed - with one sentenced to five years and the others to four.

They were all found guilty of conspiring to organise protests blocking the M25 motorway for four successive days in November 2022.

Roger Hallam, 58, Daniel Shaw, 38, Louise Lancaster, 58, Lucia Whittaker De Abreu, 35, and Cressida Gethin, 22, agreed to cause disruption to traffic by having protesters climb onto gantries over the motorway.

Prosecutors alleged the protests, during which 45 people climbed up the gantries, had an economic cost of at least £765,000, while the cost to the Metropolitan Police was more than £1.1m.

They also allegedly caused more than 50,000 hours of vehicle delay, affected more than 700,000 vehicles and left the M25 "compromised" for more than 120 hours.

A police officer suffered concussion and bruising after he was knocked off his motorbike in traffic caused by one of the protests on 9 November 2022, prosecutor Jocelyn Ledward KC said at the sentencing hearing at Southwark Crown Court.

Judge Christopher Hehir told the defendants: "The plain fact is that each of you some time ago has crossed the line from concerned campaigner to fanatic.

"You have appointed yourselves as sole arbiters of what should be done about climate change."

Hallam was sentenced to five years' imprisonment, while the other four were each handed four years.

The defendants, referred to as the Whole Truth Five by Just Stop Oil on social media, shouted "we love you" immediately after the sentences were passed down.

This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly.

Please refresh the page for the fullest version.

You can receive breaking news alerts on a smartphone or tablet via the Sky News app. You can also follow @SkyNews on X or subscribe to our YouTube channel to keep up with the latest news.