As protesters stay in their tunnels, council leader damns campaigners for protest impact on borough residents

AS police continue to negotiate and deal with protesters who remain in tunnels under an access road to one of the borough's busiest fuel terminals, Thurrock Council's leader has been reflecting on the impact of the protests over the past week.

Cllr Rob Gledhill has decried the efforts of members of eco protest group JustStopOil who returned to the borough with a number of protests – causing significant disruption which ultimately led to a cancellation of some waste bin collection services.

Cllr Gledhill says: "It has been a shame to see that protestors have been back in the borough this week and their activities are once again affecting Thurrock's residents.

"This time it is disruption to our waste services because of access to our depot in Oliver Close.

Protesters in Grays earlier this week.

"Our waste teams have made an extra effort to keep the service running as much as possible, albeit with some knock-on delays and the suspension of garden waste collection.

"We will be working hard to get the service back on track as quickly as possible once the protestors have been arrested and the roads are fully re-opened."

Today (Sunday, 28 August) a small number of protesters ramina underground.

A statement this afternoon from Essex Police says: "We are dealing with an ongoing situation and are negotiating with small number of people who remain in two tunnels."

Cllr Gledhill has also spoken about action taken earlier this year by the council to gain an injunction against the campaigners and he says it helped the police in their actions over last weekend and in the week.

Five people appeared at the Royal Courts of Justice on Thursday for actions taken at Thurrock on Tuesday. All have been bailed to reappear on 1 September.

He said: "Our injunction has had a real impact and will continue to do so in the long term. Essex Police have made a significant number of arrests stopping protestors before they had a chance to cause any greater disruption in the borough: eight people were arrested and detained as they arrived at Chafford Hundred Station on Tuesday morning, with a further 10 arrested before they could reach their tunnel in St Clements Way the same day.

"Obviously, no injunction can stop anyone determined to commit criminal acts but the injunction gives the police greater power to arrest and detain anyone coming to the borough, dampening their ability to disrupt through long-term campaigns

"Police intelligence led them to a house in Rainham, in Havering, where they seized climbing and locking-on equipment and arrested eight people who have now been charged with conspiracy to commit a public nuisance - once again stopping protestors before they could cause chaos for residents.

"The protestors do not seem to care about how their activities disrupt the lives of ordinary residents living in the borough. We respect the right to peaceful protest but there is no right to cause tens of thousands of pounds worth of damage to the borough's road network, put drivers at risk and negatively impact people who are just trying to live their lives.

"More than 100 officers and other staff have been taken from their vital duties to be assigned to the police response to this incident, these are officers that could otherwise have been in our communities helping residents, preventing crime and responding to emergencies."

Despite Cllr Gledhill's hopes, it seems unlikely that the campaigners will stop – and further action is likely in Thurrock which is seen as a key target because of the number of oil terminals in the borough and the road infrastructure which is key to getting supplies out across the whole of south East England and London.

Just Stop Oil activists show off their snack collection in the tunnel system in Grays.

And the campaigners have criticesed the police, National Highways and Thurrock Council for their attitude to the protest - they say the police are putting their lives at risk!

One of those who remains in the tunnel is Dr March Laxey, who features in a video attached to this story, explaing why he feels a tunell under a road in Grays is 'the best place to be in the world right now.'

A statement from the JustStopOil group says:N "This is the moment to come together and resist. We are not prepared to just watch while they destroy everything we love.

"We're done with begging.

"Voting has changed nothing. We are going to stop new oil whether those in power agree or not. As citizens, as humans, as parents and children we have every right under British law to protect ourselves and those we love. This is the moment, we are the last generation that can solve this.

"Will you step up and join us? If we all come together we can do this. We can Just Stop Oil."