Just Stop Oil protesters strike at Wimbledon as they get on Court 18

Just Stop Oil activists invaded a Wimbledon court today as the tennis championships became the latest high-profile sporting event to be disrupted by eco protesters.

Retired teacher Deborah Wilde, 68, and 66-year-old former musician Simon Milner-Edwards both ran onto Court 18 during the match between Sho Shimabukuro and Grigor Dimitrov, throwing orange confetti glitter and jigsaw pieces on the grass.

The protest, which saw play delayed while officials picked up the pieces, comes despite a huge airport-style security effort in SW19 attempting to prevent disruption.

Wimbledon officials had made bag checks upon entry to the grounds even more stringent – as well as banning spray paint, sprays for personal protection and glue.

As the protesters ran onto the court just after 2pm this afternoon, the umpire told the players ‘wait please’, and the crowd could be heard booing and groaning.

The BBC’s live coverage then cut away from the court to a wider shot of the general site in South West London, and commentator Nick Mullins told viewers: ‘Once more, orange clouds hang over a British sporting event this summer. This time it’s ticker tape rather than paint, dust. But it is an intrusion, and it will need sorting out.’

It comes just one week after three Just Stop Oil protesters were arrested at Lord’s Cricket Ground in North London during the second Ashes Test – including one man who was carried off the pitch by England wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow.

The group – which wants the Government to stop all new licences for oil, gas and coal – said Ms Wilde was among the two activists today.

She said: ‘I’m just an ordinary grandmother in resistance to this government’s policy of serving us new oil and gas licences. In normal circumstances this sort of disruption would be entirely unacceptable, but these aren’t normal circumstances.

‘We’ve just had the hottest June on record, breaking the previous record by nearly a whole degree, We don’t need Hawk-Eye to see that our government issuing over 100 new fossil fuel licences is a very bad line call.’

‘Forget strawberries and cream, scientists are warning of impending food shortages, mass displacement and war. We are facing new pandemics, economic inflation and increasingly authoritarian governments who will attempt to crush civil unrest.

‘This is a crisis and it needs a crisis response. I want a safe future, not just for my grandchildren but for all children around the world and the generations to come.’

Also taking action was Mr Milner-Edwards, who said: ‘I’m here for my grandchildren and everybody else’s. I’m not prepared to let our politicians wreck everything and leave the next generation to pick up the pieces.

‘The last thing I want to do is spoil people’s enjoyment of Wimbledon, but right now, on Centre Court, it’s humanity vs oil and gas – and the umpire is getting every call wrong. How long are we going to take this before we see a McEnroe-level meltdown!?’

Just Stop Oil said its activists have completed up to seven marches a day, six days a week since April 24 with more than 600 people from across the UK taking part.

The group claimed that there have been 227 arrests so far this year, including those detained at the Coronation and cultural and sporting events.

Just Stop Oil added that since its campaign launched on February 14, 2022, there have been more than 2,200 arrests and 138 people have spent time in prison.

It was reported last month that protestors were ‘hatching a plot’ to disrupt Wimbledon.

The Sun reported that members of the group wanted to glue themselves to Centre Court or even target the umpire’s chair or the grass.

A source told the newspaper: ‘An image of someone’s hand glued to something on Centre Court would be amazing. That would be very inspiring. There’s a lot of people up for that.’

Andy Murray admitted last week he thought there was a ‘good chance’ of protestors causing chaos at Wimbledon.

The British tennis player said: ‘I think there is probably a good chance of something happening.

‘I am not sure how many times I have had somebody run on the court when I am actually playing. It may have been once but I am not sure it has been more than that.’