Just Stop Oil activist, 78, who had only ever climbed an apple tree before scaling M25 gantry during climate protest reveals insulting thing she was asked to do in prison

A 78-year-old grandmother who was imprisoned for joining in a Just Stop Oil protest on the M25 has blasted the conditions of the female prison she spent Christmas in and claimed she was asked to do a pregnancy test upon entry. 

Quaker and artist Gaie Delap was recalled to prison in December last year as her wrists were too small for electronic tags, after she had previously released early from her 20 month sentence. 

Whilst locked up in HMP Peterborough, Ms Delap claimed she was exposed to numerous failings in the justice system including botched medication deliveries, horrendous staffing issues and a complete lack of  educational support for inmates.

Ms Delap was one of four activists who were released early and she was freed on November 18 on a home detention curfew. 

But while the other three early release protesters were successfully tagged, the Electronic Monitoring Service (EMS) was unable to fit a tag to Ms Delaps ankle due to a health condition, so attempted to fit one to her wrist instead.

When they were unable to do so since her wrists were too small for the tag, a warrant was issued for her arrest on December 5 despite, according to Just Stop Oil, her being fully compliant with the terms of release.

The activist group said police arrived at her home in Bristol to escort her to HMP Eastwood Park, which they accurately described as having the highest rates of self-harm of any womens prison in England and Wales, according to a 2023 report. 

The campaign group said Delap suffers from numerous health conditions and suffered a stroke in the run-up to her trial in August 2024. 

Quaker and artist Gaie Delap was recalled to prison in December last year as her wrists were too small for electronic tags

She was imprisoned for joining in a Just Stop Oil protest on the M25 (Pictured) JSO occupies a gantry over the M25 near Godstone in Surrey as part of the November 2022 protests

Speaking to the Guardian following her release this month, Ms Delap was apoplectic with rage concerning her treatment in the justice system. 

She claimed: At the pharmacy at Peterborough one day a woman who had a colostomy asked for a new bag. She was told they didnt have any and was given one of those little black plastic dog poo bags instead. 

Another woman was a wheelchair user who used incontinence pads. They didnt have the right size for her so she was turned away without any. 

Ms Delap also claimed when she was booked into the prison staff had tried to insist she complete a pregnancy test. 

She said: I burst out laughing, I said Im not going to do it, its an insult. They didnt make me do it. 

The M25 protest triggered mass anger among motorists - with long tailbacks at several stretches of the motorway - and even prevented one man from missing his fathers funeral.

However, there were figures willing to come to the groups defence, including former Newsnight host Emily Maitlis, who compared the group to Rosa Parks and the Suffragettes. 

Ms Delap was sentenced on August 1 to 20 months in prison at Basildon Crown Court after breaching a National Highways injunction that sought to stop protesters grinding the M25 to a halt.  

The retired teacher from Bristol previously told the judge that her heart was breaking for the future of her six grandchildren.

Mr Justice Soole found that she and nine of the others had not been made aware of the injunction by a Just Stop Oil mentor prior to the protest, describing the omission as a significant failure and breach of trust.

According to Ms Delaps daughter, Lily Pridie, the severity of the sentence came as a shock to the family. 

Friends and family of climate activist Gaie Delap, 78. Pictured (left-to-right): Gaies brother Nick, and friends Mike Campbell and Annie Menter

Retired teacher Gaie Delap, of Bristol, outside the Royal Courts of Justice in central London where she told a High Court judge why she climbed on to a motorway gantry to take part in a Just Stop Oil protest.

The M25 blockade in November 2022, which saw campaigners climb gantries over the motorway, caused 50,000 hours of delays and forced a man to miss his fathers funeral

Activists carried out the blockade across different parts of the M25 motorway orbiting London

Upon sentencing, she said the family will miss the childcare and that Ms Daleps granddaughters, then both under one, will miss seeing her.

A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: The prisons this government inherited are not working for most women. Many female prisoners are victims and over half are mothers. Thats why the lord chancellor has launched a new Womens Justice Board to reduce the number of women in prison, and better support those who must still be imprisoned.

An NHS spokesperson said: All patients, regardless of location, deserve a good standard of care – however we know more needs to be done to expand access, which is why weve increased HMP Peterboroughs healthcare budget by over 20% over the year, while we also roll out better staff training to ensure women receive the same quality of care as they would in the community.