JUST APPALLING I went undercover to smash Just Stop Oil’s plot to halt M25 and was shocked by sinister boasts of sneering ringleaders

The plan was for protesters to climb the steel gantries over the M25

The image shows five people posing together outdoors in front of a stone church or historic building with flint walls and Gothic windows. They are standing on grass with their arms around each other, appearing cheerful and relaxed. The group includes both men and women of varying ages, dressed casually in everyday clothing like jeans, shirts, and a patterned dress. — On Thursday record sentences were handed down to the Just Stop Oil members, the activists outlined M25 demo plans in the video chat infiltrated by The Sun

IT was an audacious plot – and The Sun's victorious bid to stop it could have come straight from a Hollywood thriller. On Thursday it came to an end in true blockbuster fashion, with record sentences handed down to the Just Stop Oil eco zealots who we had exposed over their November 2022 protest that brought the M25 to a standstill over four days.

At Southwark Crown Court Judge Christopher Hehir sentenced the group's "ideas man" Roger Hallam to five years in jail, while Daniel Shaw, 38, Louise Lancaster, 58, Lucia Whittaker De Abreu, 35, and Cressida Gethin, 22, each received four-year jail terms.

The story had begun almost two years ago when a concerned whistleblower from JSO contacted me, prompted by a genuine fear that lives were at stake. The whistleblower warned: "They've become a cult and they are putting lives at risk." Arrangements were made for me to infiltrate a closely guarded JSO meeting at which I listened in amazement and horror as plans were set out to bring the M25 to a halt.

Around a dozen people on the web call nodded along, then a voice boomed out: "We need to squash the evil — and what that involves is closing motorways. It's almost impossible to stop and causes massive disruption."

The image shows a middle-aged bald man with glasses and a beard, smiling at the camera. He appears to be indoors with white walls and bookshelves visible in the background. The lighting creates a bright effect on one side of his face. He's wearing what appears to be a dark-colored shirt or jacket. — Roger Hallam, 58, the group's ringleader was jailed for five years

Then Hallam appeared on screen – a 58-year-old organic farmer who is credited with co-founding JSO and acting as its "spiritual leader." Fresh-faced activists were in thrall to this cult-like figure. Sitting in his ground-floor flat in South East London, he vowed: "This is not just another action, it's potentially the most significant act of civil disobedience in decades."

The plan was for protesters to climb the steel gantries over the M25, which would make police stop the traffic out of safety concerns. In his audience was Cambridge University student Cressida "Cressy" Gethin who said: "This disruption is going to be even more showstopping." Fellow defendants Shaw, a social worker, ex-teacher Lancaster and key activist Whittaker De Abreu all spoke on the call.

The protest still caused mayhem, costing the Met more than £1.1million, with damage to the economy put at £765,000. It caused people to miss cancer appointments, flights and funerals. When passing sentence, the judge told the defendants: "The plain fact is that at some point you have crossed the line from concerned campaigner to fanatic."

The image shows a woman with shoulder-length brown hair speaking during what appears to be a video call or online meeting. She's wearing a light-colored top with a dark collar. Behind her on the wall are several colorful artistic prints or posters featuring abstract designs, flowers, and what appears to be a decorative horse illustration. The setting looks like a home interior with white walls. — Lucia Whittaker De Abreu, 35, an activist was jailed for four years