SUV owners left deflated by green activists’ tyre stunt

ECO-ACTIVISTS let down the tyres of some 60 four-wheel-drive sports utility vehicles (SUVS) in the wealthy Marchmont and Bruntsfield areas of Edinburgh, saying the tanks are not needed in areas with good public transport.

The campaign group – Tyre Extinguishers – said it “made safe” the vehicles on Monday as there was “no need to own a tank in Edinburgh”. Police Scotland said the stunt was “reckless and a potentially dangerous act”, as it put drivers and other road users at risk.

It was the eighth time the group has targeted the Scottish capital’s drivers. Hundreds of SUVS in France, Germany, Switzerland, Netherlands, Norway, Denmark, Czech Republic and Canada were also targeted on Monday.

Activists claim to have deflated the tyres of around 9,000 SUVS in cities across the world since March and has set a goal of 10,000 by Christmas.

The group said the vehicles were “a climate disaster”, and calls for a ban on SUVS in urban areas, pollution levies and wider provision of free public transport. It says the campaign will continue until its demands are met.