Two protesters have been found guilty of causing the Dartford Crossing to be shut last October after climbing the bridge in a Just Stop Oil protest.

Activists Morgan Trowland, 40, of Islington, London, and 34-year-old Marcus Decker, 34, of no fixed address, claimed it was a peaceful protest but were convicted at Basildon Crown Court of causing a public nuisance.

The bridge was closed to traffic for two days and all drivers were diverted via the Dartford Tunnel.

The BBC quotes prosecutor Adam King telling the trial the pair had deliberately tried to cause disruption, saying their actions “caused gridlock for miles around throughout that period, which we say was the point.”

The pair have been remanded in custody and warned that custodial sentences were being considered.

(Picture – Just Stop Oil publicity photo)