A JAILED Just Stop Oil protester who caused gridlock in south Essex by scaling the QEII bridge on the Dartford Crossing last year has been released from prison, the group says.

Morgan Trowland, 40, from Islington, has been released after 14 months in custody, Just Stop Oil has said.

He and co-defendant Marcus Decker, 34, a German national, climbed the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge on October 17 last year.

They remained suspended on cables for around 37 hours, causing gridlock when police closed the bridge to traffic.

In April, Trowland was jailed for three years for causing a public nuisance.

Just Stop Oil says it is the longest sentence in British history for undertaking nonviolent climate action.

A spokesperson said: “Morgan acted with love and was punished in a way that has terrifying implications for the rights of all people in the UK.”

In his narrative report in Essex Police’s latest Unaudited Statement of Accounts, Chief Constable BJ Harrington said the total cost of Just Stop Oil protests to the force was £5.6million.

He said: “I worked with the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner to approach the Home Office for special grant funding. To date, the Home Office have reimbursed £4million, with the force having to fund the remaining £1.6million.”