Fuel protests: 13 arrested for ‘driving too slow’ as motorists play football on empty M4

Drivers leave cars to play football on empty carriageway

Police arrested at least 13 drivers for going too slow on motorways on Monday, saying their protest against fuel prices was putting emergency services “at risk”.

Fuel protests have been taking place across the UK as drivers call for a cut in fuel duty, gridlocking motorways and major A-routes with a series of rolling go-slow roadblocks.

The latest figures from Experian show the average price of petrol reached a new high of 191.5p per litre on Sunday, while the average price of diesel was 199.0p per litre.

Those who took part in a roadblock across the Prince of Wales Bridge, between south Wales and Somerset, were stopped and told they were being detained for driving below the agreed 30mph speed for a prolonged period of time.

Chief superintendent Tom Harding of Gwent Police said the protesters had breached the legal notice put in place to ensure public safety and there had been 12 arrests. There was another arrest in Devon.

There were also protests on the A92 in Aberdeenshire, the A64 near York and the A174 near Middlesbrough.

During the tailbacks, frustrated drivers stuck in traffic got out of their cars to play football on the carriageway.

In one clip, a group of three men can be seen kicking a football between them on an empty stretch of the M4.

A group of men played football on the motorway while stuck in traffic (Wales Online)

Martin, who was trying to get to Cardiff from Portsmouth, told BBC Radio Wales at 8.30am: “I can see about seven white vans, quite a lot of protesters and a lot of police. Police look like they are trying to clear the road at the moment.

“It looks like there is a few miles of traffic behind me. I am going towards Newport and we are at a complete standstill. It looks like the road is blocked in both directions. There are quite a few people who have got out of their vehicles to see what is happening.”

The slow-moving convoys took to the roads just one day after petrol prices hit a new high of 191.5p.

The protest along the Prince of Wales bridge stretch of M4 appeared to cause the most disruption on Monday morning, with police saying drivers faced “significant delays”.

The eastbound direction was eventually closed off, while officers stopped the westbound convoy from crossing.

Among those arrested was a former HGV driver from Cwmbran, Vicky Stamper.

She said that she and her partner Darren had to give up jobs in Bristol because they could no longer afford the fuel.

She said: “We had to leave those jobs because it was costing us £380 a week just to get to and from work.

“I then lost a job two weeks ago because the company couldn't afford to put fuel in that many lorries so last in, first out.”

She said the situation has taken an emotional toll on her and her family.

Talking before the protest about the disruption it will cause to drivers, Ms Stamper added: “We’re doing this for us and for them. If they want to have a moan, they should join us instead.”

Asked what she would ask the prime minister, Boris Johnson, to do, she said: “Resign.”

The Prince of Wales bridge, which runs between England and Wales, during the morning rush hour as drivers hold a go-slow protest on the M4 (PA)

Fuel protesters were also out in Leeds on Monday morning, with images showing them holding banners and talking to police who had closed off the exit junction at Ferrybridge services.

A government spokesman said: “While we respect the right to protest, people’s day-to-day lives should not be disrupted, especially on busy motorways where lives are put at risk and resulting traffic delays will only add to fuel use.

“The new Public Order Bill will make it a criminal offence to glue yourself to a dangerous motorway, which sees police spending hours trying to safely remove people.”