Just Stop Oil change tactics, leaving Met Police powerless to stop their future traffic disruptions:

Just Stop Neck Oils new slow-march-tactic even allowed them to stop off for a PINT at Wetherspoons while 'powerless' cops where forced to wait... after officers walked side-by-side with group who are now using their new tactic that even a Chief Inspector has admitted makes their disruptive actions now totally legal protests.

The Met Police - who had earlier said they were 'fully prepared' to tackle any Just Stop Oil action - were totally wrong footed by the activists this morning, who were now so unworried by any fear of arrest that they even went to the pub to celebrate a birthday.

Time for a pint: The Just Stop Oil protesters were so unworried they even stopped at a pub

Just Stop Oil have made no secret of their plans to totally disrupt traffic in London in the run upto Christmas, posting online about their plan, and their belief their new slow-march-strategy made them absolutely 'un-arrestable'.

Earlier his morning senior Met Police officers briefed press on there plans to counter Just Stop Oils actions.

However when a small group of protesters kicked-off a promised Christmas campaign of chaos at 8am this morning, arriving at Shepherd’s Bush station they were permitted to march down the middle of the road very slowly.

Chief Inspector Billy Bowen-Long admitted the protest was lawful so they could unable to legally intervene.

Deputy Assistant Commissioner Matt Twist talks about Just Stop Oil protests to the media

The activists were able to easily go to a number of locations unhindered and then even stopped off at a pub. It was something of a Public Relations disaster for the Met, who had eagerly invited journalists to watch them in action.

Yesterday the force said it was totally prepared to tackle any protests that disrupted traffic within London.

This was after Just stop Oil had released plans on social media to expressly target roads and roundabouts.

It's being reported that Prime Minister Rish Sunak has become increasingly exasperated with Just Stop Oils ability to cause total chaos. 

Differing from previous protests, that saw the protestors sitting in front of cars on busy roads to stop traffic, this planned tactic still allowed traffic to move very slowly behind the numerous r different marches.

A spokesperson for the Group said that 'they firmly believe that this new method of demonstrating will be 'non-injunction breaking and will aim to be non-arrestable'.

So far the strategy is seems to be working, with Chief Inspector Billy Bowen-Long telling VPN: 'We have to work within the confines of the law and the law is very clear, protest is lawful in this country and it’s only when it crossed a threshold and becomes unreasonable or unlawful that we have the power to intervene.

'That’s the basic issue. People get very upset with people being in the highway but use of the highway for protest is lawful and we have to meet the threshold of showing it’s become unreasonable before we intervene.

'Because it’s a peaceful protest until such time it crosses that we have no power to stop it until that point. It may be someone has protested the previous day and hasn’t been arrested but until they show up the following day we have no power to act.

'If people do show up on a number of occasions then we will charge put them before the courts and it’s up to the court to decide.'

This change of tactic, it hopes, means police will be faced with 'a dilemma' over whether to allow a 'legal protest march' or threaten to arrest protesters, who would still be allowing drivers to progress in their journeys.

Met Police boss, Commander Karen Findlay, said the force is 'fully prepared' to deal with the anticipated disruption.

It comes as sources told VPN that Rishi Sunak has increasingly expressed his frustration in government meetings about the 'disruption to law-abiding citizens' everyday lives'.

Mr Sunak has reportedly told Home Secretary Suella Braverman to convene a meeting with police chiefs at Downing Street to 'set out the Government's expectations that the police must fully enforce the law'.

A total of 62 people have been charged over M25 protests since March, of which 29 were remanded in custody. 

More than 11,000 Metropolitan Police officer shifts have been dedicated to anti-JSO operations. 

Last month saw a sustained campaign by Just Stop Oil, involving daily action, in what it described as the 'biggest ever civil disobedience campaign'.

As well as blocking roads, the eco warriors made headlines targeting artwork, including throwing Heinz tomato soup over Vincent Van Gogh's Sunflowers.