A WOMAN is among the first to be charged with a new offence after officers dealt with an incident of disruption on the M25.
Officers were called to an overhead gantry at junction 31 of the M25 on Wednesday 20 July.
A diversion was put in place in order to minimise disruption and the clockwise carriage way had to be closed while the incident was safely dealt with.
Louise Lancaster, 56, of Burnt Close, Grantchester has been charged with intentionally and/or recklessly causing a public nuisance, which is an offence under new legislation, Section 78 of the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022.
She appeared at Southend Magistrates’ Court yesterday, Friday 22 July, and was remanded into custody to appear at a later date, yet to be fixed.
Lancaster is the first to be charged with this offence in Essex.
Detective Superintendent Jon Burgess, of our West Local Policing Area command, said: “While we will always do our best to allow for lawful protest, we will not tolerate behaviour which puts the public and indeed our officers and emergency services colleagues in danger.
“I would urge anyone who plans to carry out what they perceive to be protest by disrupting roads or infrastructure in the coming days and weeks not to – your actions will likely result in you being arrested.”
Lock her up without her home comforts