Tyre Extinguishers Target Exeter Land Rover Dealership in Retaliation over Wimbledon School Crash

The Tyre Extinguishers, a climate activist group, has claimed responsibility for ruining tyres on at least 60 vehicles at a Land Rover dealership in Exeter. The act of retaliation came after a tragic incident in Wimbledon last month, where two eight-year-old girls lost their lives when a Land Rover crashed through the gates of The Study Prep school, injuring several others. The driver of the Land Rover was arrested at the scene on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving and has been subsequently bailed.

In a video posted online, a person is seen using a drill at the Devon garage, destroying the tyres of the vehicles. The Tyre Extinguishers released a statement, expressing their intentions behind the act, stating that they aimed to draw attention to the presence of “grossly-inappropriate private vehicles” in towns and cities. The group believes that SUVs are eight times more likely to cause fatalities in crashes involving children than smaller cars.

The statement from Tyre Extinguishers read, “This act of retaliation is intended as a peaceful and non-violent demonstration to draw attention to the presence of grossly-inappropriate private vehicles in our towns and cities. Tyre Extinguishers firmly believes that their action is a necessary escalation to try and stop these vehicles from wrecking further lives and continuing to push the worsening climate crisis off the cliff edge.

The group has been targeting SUVs since 2022, aiming to make it difficult to own such vehicles in urban areas, considering them a climate disaster, dangerous, and unnecessary. They also extend their actions to include electric and hybrid SUVs, arguing that there are not enough rare earth metals to replace all cars with them, posing a danger to other road users.

Devon and Cornwall Police are aware of the criminal damage and have stated that inquiries are ongoing. The owner of the dealership, Vertu Motors, expressed their displeasure, emphasising that trespass and damage to private property are not acceptable and that the matter has been handed over to the police.

The Tyre Extinguishers hope their action will serve as a wake-up call to address road safety and climate concerns, urging stakeholders to unite in efforts to prevent future tragedies and make roads safer for everyone.