A court order deterring protesters from disrupting some of the country’s busiest roads has been extended for another year.

The injuction sees anyone taking part in unlawful protests on roads such as the M25, its feeder roads, and roads leading to and around the Dover ports, potentially faced with civil proceedings for contempt of court.

This could lead to imprisonment, an unlimited fine, the seizure of assets, or a combination of the three.

The High Court extended the order today, until May 10, 2024 at 11.59pm.

The order was initially obtained by National Highways last May, and a further injunction was obtained in November to specifically cover the structures on the M25 including overhead gantries, which were targeted by Just Stop Oil protesters that month.

In October, bridge design engineer Morgan Trowland and private tutor Marcus Decker caused gridlock on the M25 when they scaled the QEII bridge at the Dartford Crossing and camped out straddling the suspension cables, leaving the bridge closed for days.

Weeks later, protesters climbing gantries along the motorway led to police roadblocks.

Trowland and Decker were jailed last month, being found guilty by unanimous verdicts of causing public nuisance, following an earlier trial at Basildon Crown Court.

At Southend Crown Court, Judge Shane Collery KC sentenced Trowland to three years in prison, while Decker was jailed for two years and seven months.

The M25 is the country’s busiest motorway, used by up to 200,000 vehicles each day.

Dover is the busiest port in the country and is a major trade route with Europe.

Tim Reardon, National Highways’ General Counsel, said: "Millions of people rely on the strategic road network every day and they have a right to expect it to operate as it should.

“We are really pleased to have obtained an extension to this injunction, so anyone intending to protest on the M25, its feeder routes and main roads around the Port of Dover – in additional to structures on the M25 - will run the risk of imprisonment, an unlimited fine or a seizure of assets, or a combination of all three.”

National Highways is working closely with police forces across areas affected by such protest activity, aiming to minimise disruption to the public.

The police also have a range of powers under criminal laws that they can use to charge offenders involved with protests on roads.