BRAZEN eco protesters have escalated their M25 protest campaign by blocking the high speed carriageway.
Insulate Britain had previously been targeting the slip road of the motorway to disrupt motorists.
Furious drivers have clashed with the demonstrators who glued themselves to the road and caused traffic chaos.
Protestors ignored calls from the police this morning and jumped the barrier from the hard shoulder before running in front of traffic.
Officers attempted to haul them off the carriageway as motorists slowed down but they managed to sprawl across the lane and completely block both sides of the M25 near Woking.
The activists were eventually removed from both carriageways by cops in front of the huge tailbacks on the busy motorway.
Officers have arrested 23 people in connection with the incident this morning and traffic began moving slowly.
A Surrey Police spokesman said: “We are currently in attendance between junctions 9 and 10 of the M25 dealing with a protest which was reported just after 8am today.
“A number of protesters from Insulate Britain are on the carriageways in both the clockwise and anti-clockwise directions.
"Two lanes on both clockwise and anticlockwise carriageways of the M25 between junctions 9 and 10 are now fully re-opened after officers cleared all of the Insulate Britain protesters off of the road."
It is the fifth time that the climate crisis warriors have successfully cause travel chaos across the London orbital and surrounding motorways.
Zoe Cohen from the group told LBC: "It’s not about justifying it. What we know is that our government is failing to protect British families.
"Thousands will die this winter from fuel poverty. Millions of families will struggle.
"We hate doing it, we hate doing it – please, please – will you please ask government to write reasonable statement and get us off the road. We don't want to do this.
“If the government met our demands to insulate and retrofit social housing and the rest of the homes in Britain, it would save thousands of lives."
It is completely unacceptable behaviour.
Kwasi Kwarteng calls today's M25 protest "completely unacceptable" and "very disturbing" adding that he is "surprised" by how the police are handling the protests.
The Conservative MP said: "It is completely unacceptable behaviour. That is why Priti Patel is really trying to push action on this.
"I don't think it's acceptable for people to be delaying others who are critically injured and preventing them from getting vital hospital services."
Why aren't police able to stop if before it starts?
"I think you would have to ask the local police enforcement and officers what is going on there.
"I was surprised as you were to see this happening and certainly I support the Home Secretary in her determination to try to sort this out.
"I was very surprised to see the footage this morning."
"Clearly there is something that is happening between the Home Secretary saying, bringing people together and then actually implementing those instructions, that guidance on the ground.
"That sometimes happens. It's very disturbing."
"We have introduced legislation that helps the police do their job."
“There is an issue with enforcement and that is the problem we have here.”
'YOU ARE CAUSING MORE POLLUTION'
The shameless protesters yesterday offered their “sympathies” for a woman who was paralysed by a stroke while sitting in the traffic that they caused.
The group caused severe disruption as its activists blocked part of the busy motorway throughout last week.
An irate driver previously told the activists: "Why the hell do you think this is the right thing to do?
"I know what you're fighting, I completely agree, this is a really, really good idea, but this is not the way to do it.
"You're causing more pollution with all these cars sitting here just doing f*** all.
"You're making people hate you. Go and protest London, go down to Downing Street."
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has criticised climate protesters disrupting the M25.
He said: "I think it's irresponsible, I think it's dangerous.
"It's completely counterproductive as well because they're actually creating the pollution they want to get rid of by having cars standing still, so there's no justification for that kind of action.
"I call on them to stop and the police to intervene."
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