Insulate Britain suspends road protests for 11 days

Climate protest group Insulate Britain, which has caused disruption to major roads during the last five weeks, is to suspend its campaigning for 11 days.

The activists have blocked motorways and roads in the London area, including the M1 and M25, and Thames crossings.

In an open letter to Prime Minister Boris Johnson, the group says it will halt its "campaign of civil resistance" until 25 October.

Insulate Britain said it "profoundly" acknowledges the disruption caused.

After a member of the group attempting to deliver the letter was turned back from the gates in Downing Street, Insulate Britain said it would post it to Mr Johnson.

Insulate Britain is a recently-launched group that calls for a national programme to ensure homes are insulated by 2030, which government experts on climate change say is essential to meet targets on reducing carbon emissions.

Hundreds of members of the group have been arrested and there have been angry exchanges with some drivers caught up in 14 separate days of protests.

In the latest incident, Essex Police arrested a number of the group's supporters after they blocked a slip road at junction 31 of the M25 on Wednesday, near the Dartford Crossing.

The government has taken out court injunctions to try to prevent further action and new powers targeting such protests have been announced.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps urged Insulate Britain to abandon campaigning.

"Sitting on roads & preventing everyone else from going about their lawful business is downright dangerous & counterproductive. Rather than apologising to the motorist now and returning in a week & a half, they must call off their reckless campaign forever, " he tweeted.

Insulate Britain says its protests were being suspended ahead of the United Nations COP26 climate conference. The UK is hosting the summit in Glasgow from 31 October to 12 November, where 200 countries are being asked for their plans to cut emissions by 2030.

Referring to the disruption caused in the past five weeks, the group says in its letter to the prime minister: "We cannot imagine undertaking such acts in normal circumstances. But the dire reality of our situation has to be faced."

Insulate Britain said it will restart its action if Mr Johnson does not deliver "a meaningful or trustworthy statement" on improving the insulation in some British homes.

Biff Whipster, a retail worker and member of the group who was turned away from the gates at Downing Street, said: "We want to now give the government a bit of breathing space so they don't feel under pressure."

He said they had "made our voices heard" but unless they heard from the prime minister in the next 10 days, they would would resume "blocking roads, blocking motorways and breaking court injunctions".