BRITS have been warned they face MONTHS of “go slow” fuel protests as Priti Patel demands cops cuff those responsible.
The Home Secretary wants new powers brought in to arrest motorists who brought the nation to a standstill on Monday, according to government sources.
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It comes following a day of chaos which saw some drivers chug along at a dangerous 10mph up and down the country in protest at fuel prices.
Police arrested 12 activists from Fuel Price Stand Against Tax on the M4 following a hold up on the motorway which saw traffic creep at 20mph sparking hours of delays.
A convoy of around 20 vehicles was seen at the Magor services near Caldicot, South Wales, as well as the Exeter Services on the M5 and the A38 in Devon.
Organisers also blocked the Prince of Wales Bridge crossing between England and Wales, while disruption grew on the A12 in Essex and the A48 in Gloucestershire.
The M62 in West Yorkshire, in Stoke-on-Trent on the A50, and the M6 and M54 in the Midlands were all gridlocked too.
Protests clogged mainly three-lane motorways and see slow-downs on two lanes, leaving the fast lane free, according to FairFuelUK founder Howard Cox.
But activists have vowed to go further with a “summer of discontent” on the road networks amid fury at soaring prices at the pump.
Activist farmer Andrew Spence, from Co. Durham, told the Daily Mail today’s road hell is “just the start of things to come” in a chilling warning for what lies ahead.
He added: “We’re promising a summer of discontent – this is only going to get bigger and bigger.”
The campaign has been organised on social media and seen activists swarm to roadsides and petrol stations demanding imminent price cuts.
They urged motorists to be tolerant of their protest as they waved banners portraying a petrol pump and a figure in a compromised position.
The threats have sparked fears that Britain could be hurtling towards Canadian-style ‘Freedom Convoy’s’ which one Tory MP warned could hit London if protests spiral further.
It comes as unleaded splashes to a whopping £1.91 a litre on average, up from 145p last year, according to the RAC.
Around 45 per cent of the eye-watering cost is now made up of VAT and fuel duty.
Diesel is over £2 per litre on some forecourts in Britain.
We’re promising a summer of discontent – this is only going to get bigger and bigger
Andrew Spence, activist
But Ms Patel wants to use powers under the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act to snare the slow coaches holding up Britain.
The law was brought in to crack down on Insulate Britain and Extinction Rebellion environment protesters earlier this year who brought havoc to the roads.
It saw “wilful obstruction of a highway” carry a new six month prison sentence and unlimited fine – up from a smaller fine – and it is this that Ms Patel wants cops across England to use to “move people on”.
A Home Office source told the Daily Mail: “Through our Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act, we have given the police a wealth of powers to deal with disruptive and damaging protests, including imprisonment and unlimited fines for those blocking a highway – actions which inflict further pain on those affected by rising prices.
“The Home Secretary would encourage and support the police to make use of all the powers available to them.
“Forces need to move people on. These protests are blocking people from getting to work and from carrying out other vital journeys – this is not about whether you believe in the cause or not.”
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