Forth Road Bridge closed as 10 Greenpeace activists hang from ropes

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The Forth Road Bridge has been closed to traffic after 10 Greenpeace activists suspended themselves from the structure in order to block a tanker.

The group said it wanted to block an Ineos tanker carrying fracked gas to the Grangemouth industrial site further up the Firth of Forth.

Greenpeace said its international team wished to protest the production of plastics and the impact they have on the environment.

The activists suspended themselves using ropes and are about 25 metres from the water level at high tide.

They have a support team on the bridge itself and on the water, with the group saying they plan to stay in place for 24 hours – using hammocks to make themselves comfortable if they need to.

Greenpeace spokeswoman Amy Cameron told the PA news agency: “The world’s in the grip of a serious plastics pollution crisis, and in the UK the biggest plastic producer is Ineos.

“At the Grangemouth site they produce enough plastic every day to make 60 million plastic bottles.”

They said petrochemical companies like Ineos are blocking progress for an international agreement on plastics.

She added: “We are here today to say that if you’re going to try and block the plastics treaty, we’re going to block you.”

Ms Cameron said she expected the protest to be “safe and peaceful”, and precautions had been taken, adding: “From our perspective, we don’t think there’s any need for the police to be here.”

Asked about any disruption for travellers, she said: “It’s definitely not our intention to cause any disruption to any member of the public.

“Our climbers have access to bridge via the pedestrian walkway, which is separated from the roads – which is separated from the roads.

“So there was no need to close the road bridge, if that’s a decision that Police Scotland have taken, then that’s their decision.”

Police Scotland said they were alerted at 1.05pm and officers were “engaged with those involved”. The public were asked to avoid the area.

The bridge is one of three crossing the Firth of Forth in central Scotland which links Edinburgh to Fife.