74 people charged over Insulate Britain road-blocking protests

Seventy-four people have been charged over Insulate Britain’s road-blocking protests.

Kent Police said the prosecutions relate to incidents on the M25 motorway and near the Port of Dover on several dates in September and October last year.

It is believed to be the first time criminal proceedings have been launched in relation to Insulate Britain activists.

The defendants face a total of 104 charges and have been summoned to attend hearings at Crawley Magistrates’ Court from April.

Insulate Britain, an offshoot of Extinction Rebellion, wants the Government to insulate all UK homes by 2030 to cut carbon emissions.

It repeatedly blocked major roads between September and November, causing long traffic jams.

Activists often glued their hands to roads or each other to make it harder to remove them.