Five suspected Just Stop Oil supporters packed into a car with climbing equipment and banners were arrested this morning as demonstrators struck on the M25 for a fourth consecutive day.

Kent Police officers found the protesters near Westerham in Sevenoaks.

A spokesman said: "Five suspected activists were arrested at around 6.20am today, after our proactive patrols stopped a suspicious car near Westerham and the M25 motorway.

"Climbing equipment, harnesses, D-locks and banners have all been seized and the suspects have been taken into custody."

Two women aged 20 and 21, and three men aged 50, 45 and 18 were arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit public nuisance.

From 6.30am, demonstrators climbed multiple overhead gantries along the ring road.

Traffic is queueing and there is one lane closed on the motorway, anticlockwise between J29 A127 (Romford/Basildon) and J28 A12 (Brentwood/Brook Street Roundabout).

There is currently congestion on both sides with delays at the Dartford Crossing likely.

It is the fourth day of protests by Just Stop Oil, who have caused daily disruption and chaos for motorists.

The demonstrations are part of their campaign to demand that the government halts all new oil and gas licences.

Read more: Who are Just Stop Oil and what do they want?

Their website, juststopoil.org, was offline for more than two hours this morning.

It was not immediately clear if this was a technical issue or if it had been taken down.

Essex Police have now arrested a woman who was attempting to climb onto a gantry near Junction 28.

A roads policing officer was on the M25 shortly before 7am, where the woman was removed and arrested on suspicion of causing a public nuisance.

The 24-year-old remains in custody.

Ch Supt Simon Anslow said: “The response this morning was extremely quick with our officers arresting a woman before she had the opportunity to cause further disruption.

“We put a single lane closure in place to protect our officer and the detained person on the hard shoulder.

"Our working at heights team arrived within two minutes to provide support and it took a total of just 31 minutes before all lanes were reopened completely."

He added: “We’re learning more every day about this group’s tactics and we continually review our own tactics to prevent crime and serious disruption on our roads.

"I appreciate that it has been frustrating for those stuck in traffic and that police forces across the country have received a lot of criticism about how we’ve handled the disruption this week.

"I remain proud of how we’ve responded to this as a police force and prouder still of the individual officers deployed on this operation."

Just Stop Oil have confirmed that they have also been joined by supporters of Animal Rebellion.

Phoebie Plummer, a student from London, has taken part in the demonstration today.

The 21-year-old said: “As a young person, the only future I see before me is one of mass famine, severe droughts, wildfires, floods and societal collapse.

“I understand people must be frustrated with us, and rightly so, but we have to disrupt daily life because we are hurtling towards climate catastrophe, yet the Government continues to betray me, my generation and people in the Global South by issuing new oil licenses.”

Yesterday a police officer was injured in a lorry crash during the protests on the M25.

Police have said he is now making a full recovery.

A further three people were arrested yesterday and have have since been charged with causing a public nuisance.

Daniel Johnson, 24 of Blairgowrie, Perth And Kinross, Paul Bell, 20, of St Germans Road, Exeter, and Theresa Higginson, 24 of Biggleswade, Bedfordshire, have been remanded into custody.

They will appear at Basildon Magistrates Court via a live link this morning.

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