Under-pressure police chiefs could try to slap M25 eco mob with conspiracy ...

Eco-mob protesters who blocked the M25 for a third time in five days yesterday could now face conspiracy charges with a maximum sentence of five years. 

Police chiefs came under intense pressure for the way they tackled the Insulate Britain protests and Priti Patel summoned Met Commissioner Cressida Dick and other force bosses responsible for the M25 after they failed to drag away protesters 'immediately' when up to 80 activists blocked the motorway and also shut down the M3 and M11 as they ran riot.

Shocking video emerged showing an officer stopping traffic to allow protesters onto the motorway earlier this week, with the Met saying he was trying to keep the activists 'safe'. 

The anger at the police's handling of the situation was increased after photos emerged showing some protesters attending all three demonstrations, despite being previously arrested. 

Now, senior officers from Hertfordshire, Surrey, Kent, Essex and the Met are considering charging the activists with more serious crimes to ensure they are deterred from further protests.   

Conspiracy to cause public nuisance, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison, is thought to be one of the punishments considered. 

One police source told the Telegraph: 'The disruption involved massively outweighs the offence and the protesters are well aware of that. Most of those involved have been arrested on suspicion of blocking the highway, which is a relatively minor offence.

'Even if these cases reach the charging threshold for the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and it goes to court, the sentences available on conviction are very small. As we saw with some of the Extinction Rebellion protesters, they walk away with conditional discharges, which ends up encouraging others to take similar action.' 

It comes after the Home Secretary held an emergency Zoom call with police chiefs after protesters from Insulate Britain shut down the UK's busiest road during rush hour every 48 hours this week and made officers 'look like idiots', one Tory MP said.

The enviro-zealots even warned officers they would do it again after being released without bail conditions on Monday and Wednesday - with Hertfordshire Police defending the decision not to charge them claiming they still need time to 'gather evidence and build a case' despite arresting dozens of them in the middle of the M25.

Surrey Police's Chief Constable Gavin Stephens, Kent Police's Chief Constable Alan Pughsley, Hertfordshire Constabulary's Chief Constable Charlie Hall and Essex's Ben-Julian Harrington are all in the firing line over their soft-touch response to the crippling protests.

A spokesman for the Association of British Drivers said: 'The police have failed to do their duty. It's time for Chief Constables to decide whose side they're on. The actions of these people is an absolute bl**dy disgrace. 

'They should be locked away. I'm appalled about why they have been released on bail with no restrictions. Not only have police not arrested these people for proper offences - they've not charged them with anything at all'.

A source close to the Home Secretary told MailOnline that at today's summit with police chiefs she reiterated her message that 'these people are breaking the law and must be removed immediately'. The insider did not go into what was discussed about the M25 - and how they would break the cycle of protests -  for 'operational reasons'. But said: 'The British public does not expect the police to be standing by while protesters disrupt people's daily lives.'

Tory MP for South Thanet, Craig Mackinlay MP, said:  'I am surprised that the Metropolitan Police Commissioner has not advised her officers to make use of one of numerous possible legal provisions to prevent, remove, arrest and charge the activists within Insulate Britain, Extinction Rebellion and other anarchist groups causing mayhem to the law-abiding public simply trying to go about their normal activities and costing millions in lost business and valuable police time.'

One Tory backbencher told MailOnline: 'Priti's tough talking isn't enough. These protesters are making the police look like idiots and the buck stops with the Home Secretary and her chief constables'. 

Ms Patel is under growing pressure with some drivers taking to social media demanding she 'sorts this mess out' or resigns. Others said Boris Johnson should sack her if police continue to 'fail to keep roads open'.

One said: 'Police - clear the f**king roads. Keep Britain moving or resign @pritipatel'. Another tweeted a picture of the police guarding the protesters and wrote: '@pritipatel - sort it or resign to let someone in who will'. One driver wrote simply: 'Resign @pritipatel'. 

Priti Patel had ordered police to take 'decisive action' against the 'selfish' eco-protesters and described the 'guerrilla tactics' of Insulate Britain as 'completely unacceptable'. But critics have demanded to know what she will do to stamp out the problem, and halt the embarrassing cycle of protests, after the eco-warriors completely ignored her. 

Met Commissioner Cressida Dick has been accused of 'losing control' of protests again and urged to resign just days after she was granted a two-year extension at Scotland Yard despite her critics including the parents of Stephen Lawrence and Jean Charles de Menezes saying she 'should have been fired long ago'. One Government source told MailOnline the way it had been handled by the police this week was 'mental'.  

As officers were shown being soft touch and drivers tried to clear the roads themselves, a Metropolitan Police officer was even filmed helping protesters to walk in front of cars and take their places at junction 25 on the M25 where they calmly sat down and blocked the road on Wednesday.  The Met defended the officer today, saying it was for safety reasons, was a 'dynamic' decision and did not facilitate the protest. 

But Insulate Britain said its 'actions will continue until the Government makes a meaningful commitment to insulate all of Britain's 29 million leaky homes by 2030, which are among the oldest and most energy inefficient in Europe'. 

The mob from Insulation Britain turned up to blockade junction 28 at Brentwood at around 8.30am on Friday but officers from Essex Police were waiting for them and arrested them before they could start their protest. 

A small number broke through but they were then dragged away within minutes and thrown into patrol cars yelling at officers about their rights and saying: 'What you are doing is illegal'.  Irate drivers were seen rowing, jostling and even spitting at the protesters on the M11 at J8 near Stansted this morning before more Essex officers dragged the troublemakers off the road.

There were also successful protests at J3 and J9 of the M25 as well a group at J1 of the M3. Some threw blue paint on the road, which led to police deciding to shut junctions for even longer to clean it off. 

One protester called Sandy, 31, who works as a teacher, told The Sun Online: 'On Monday and Wednesday there was a lot of screaming at us from motorists. Today, we're well protected by the police and there's less opportunity for it.'

The activist said she had now been arrested three times next week, adding: 'I feel calm. It's out of my hands now. If I'm released, I will come back here. Losing my job is a small concern compared to what's coming if we don't lower our carbon emissions.'

Another activist Oliver, 41, from London, added: 'The police wouldn't interview us when they arrested us earlier this week - they all just released us with no bail conditions. I told two officers I was going out to commit the crime again. They just advised against it.'

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps urged police to take 'swift action to clear the roads'. He wrote on Twitter: 'This is dangerous and counterproductive. We all agree that climate change must be tackled, but this sort of behaviour achieves nothing, puts drivers at risk and INCREASES pollution. I expect the police to take swift action to clear the roads.'  

One officer holding two young women by the arms told them 'not to move' or they would go into cuffs. Several of the people arrested have been held for the third time - and were filmed being dragged off the road within minutes, rather than the hours it has taken earlier in the week.

But Surrey Police failed to stop them doing the same for the third morning today, with a group now sitting on the junction 9 sliproad with long queues already building on the main carriageway. They also dumped blue paint on the highway. 

They were are also at junction three at Swanley in Kent while a group also popped up at junction 1 of the M3, at Sunbury and at junction 8 of the M11 near Stansted.

There is anger that they have been repeatedly arrested then released.

Hertfordshire Police said in a statement: 'With the offences they were arrested for on Monday there is no power in law to remand them. They will face a court when the CPS have agreed that there is sufficient evidence to charge them with an offence, for which we need to gather evidence and build a case, considering the actions taken by all the protesters'.

It came as Priti Patel last night ordered police to take 'decisive action' against the 'selfish' eco-protesters and described the 'guerrilla tactics' of Insulate Britain as 'completely unacceptable' after the eco-group held traffic at four of the busiest junctions of the M25 on Wednesday. They shut five on Monday and at least two so far on Friday.   

Ms Patel said the police had the Government's full support. But she warned: 'They must uphold the law and take decisive action. This kind of disruption is dangerous and takes police away from communities where they are needed most.' 

She also took warned the Government would 'not allow selfish protesters' to disrupt the lives of Britons, adding: 'Peaceful protest is a cornerstone of our democracy and there will always be space for legitimate groups to make their voices heard.

'But this Government will not stand by and allow a small minority of selfish protesters to cause significant disruption to the lives and livelihoods of the hard-working majority.

'The guerrilla tactics used by Insulate Britain detract from their cause and I know the public will agree that the scenes on the M25 this week were completely unacceptable.'  

Ms Patel also vowed to target disruptive protests such as Insulate Britain's with the Government's new Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts bill. 

Under the proposals, which are due to go before the House of Lords next week, police will be given greater powers to impose conditions on protests, allowing officers to close down demonstrations quicker.

Organisers who breach conditions will face up to six months in prison, while fines of up to £2,500 will be handed out to those who take part in 'illegal' protests. 

By Midday police had arrested at least 58 protesters after they blockaded the M25 for the third time in a week.

Kent Police confirmed it had made 10 arrests of activists who had blocked the M25 exit slip road at Junction 3 at the Swanley Interchange.

Officers were called at around 8.20am today/yesterday [FRI] to reports that protesters were obstructing the road at junction 3 of the Swanley Interchange.

The activists were arrested and remain in custody.

Surrey Police said it had made 14 arrests in connection to the protest at Leatherhead and 10 at the M3 interchange and 10 arrests at junction 1 of the M3.

Essex Police said a total of 24 people had been arrested - 15 on the M25 and another 9 people on the M11.

Activists were pictured sat in a line across the road, wearing fluorescent orange hi-vis vests and holding 'Insulate Britain' banners.

In Essex, officers prevented 12 protesters from the campaign group from making it onto the road at the Brook Street roundabout near Brentwood.

But a further eight climate protestors managed to partially block the road.

Further activists blockaded the M11 at the junction with the A120 in Essex.

Essex Police said a total of 24 people had been arrested - 15 on the M25 and another 9 people on the M11.

It is the third time this week that activists have blocked the UK's busiest road - causing commuters heavy delays.

Insulate Britain said many of the protestors had only been released by police hours before they returned to the roads. 

It comes as members of the eco-group warned officers they would do it again after being released the first time and vowed to hold a third protest 'as soon as possible' in another humiliation for soft-touch police.

Insulate Britain also revealed that officers have only bailed 17 of the 181 activists - many of whom have already been arrested on two occasions - meaning that they are free to try to block Britain's busiest motorway again. 

In a statement the group, an offshoot of Extinction Rebellion demanding Boris Johnson pays for all social housing to be fully insulated, said: 'People from Insulate Britain involved in blocking the M25 on Wednesday and released from custody this morning told the police that

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