JUST Stop Oil ‘mastermind’ Roger Hallam and four others have received a total of 21 years behind bars after The Sun newspaper covertly exposed their plot to block motorways, with Hallam, 58, receiving a sentence of 5 years.

Hallam, Daniel Shaw, 38, Louise Lancaster, 58, Lucia Whittaker De Abreu, 35, and Cressida Gethin, 22, bought the motorway to a standstill with their protest in November 2022 that cost British taxpayers over £1m.

The Sun exposed the group’s plans to police after going undercover on a Zoom call to discuss the plot. The group caused more than 50,000 hours of vehicle delay – affecting more than 700,000 vehicles – and left the M25 “compromised” for more than 120 hours.

udge Christopher Hehir said: “The plain fact is that each of you some time ago has crossed the line from concerned campaigner to fanatic.”

Around 45 people scaled gantries on the motorway, Southwark Crown Court was told. One police officer suffered concussion and bruising after being knocked off his motorbike in traffic caused by one of the protests.

Judge Hehir said the group’s Zoom call showed “how intricately planned the disruption was and the sophistication involved”.