Protesters from Insulate Britain have blocked a junction of the M25 motorway and a major road in central London.

The climate activists said about 40 demonstrators are sitting on the road at junction 25 of the M25 at Waltham Cross, Hertfordshire, and on the A501 at Old Street roundabout.

The protests caused long queues of rush hour traffic on Friday morning.

A video posted on social media by radio station LBC shows protesters running in front of a police van at the M25 junction.

Officers then drag some of the activists off the road.

This is the 12th day in the past four weeks that the group has carried out protests on roads.

Insulate Britain admitted its actions on the M25 are “in breach” of an injunction obtained by the Government last month.

Tracey Mallagan, a spokeswoman for the group, which is calling on the Government to insulate all UK homes by 2030 to cut carbon emissions, said: “If governments don’t act soon to reduce emissions, we face a terrifying situation.

“We won’t be worrying about shortages of pasta or loo rolls because law and order breaks down pretty quickly when there is not enough food to go round.

“The Government won’t be wondering if there are enough hospital beds or ventilators, but whether there are enough people left to bury the dead.

“The Government is destroying our country. Boris Johnson should be taken to court for treason. Our flesh and blood are being tossed aside as expendable.”