THURROCK became the centre of the latest Insulate Britain protest this morning (Wednesday, 13 October) when 35 people were arrested.

Essex Police said officers were called to a slip road at junction 31 of the M25 in West Thurrock, near the Dartford Crossing, just after 8.25am.

The force said it had been able to keep lane one open to keep traffic moving.

At the junction police reported 16 people had been arrested.

Police then received reports of people blocking the road in Stonehouse Lane, Purfleet and officers were despatched to deal with the situation.

There were an additional 19 arrests in Purfleet.

The initial blockage forced multiple vehicles including HGVs to stop and turn round, causing clashes between protesters and angry motorists before police arrived.

At one point drivers left their vehicles and attempted to drag protesters from the road.

Insulate Britain said about 40 people were at junction 31 and at the nearby A1090 London Road, near the Dartford Crossing.

A spokesman for the group, Liam Norton, justified the protest saying: "In 10 years' time when fuel crises are catastrophic, when the food has run out and when people are experiencing unsurvivable heatwaves, what would you be wishing you had done now?"