A COUNCILLOR is calling for the environmental activists responsible for deflating car tyres in the city to be banned from social media.

Labour councillor Gary Wilkinson said The Tyre Extinguishers are using sites such as Twitter and Facebook to encourage people to target SUVs in Brighton and Hove.

The group describe SUVs as “a climate disaster”, “dangerous” and “unnecessary” and have deflated tyres in Preston Park, Woodingdean and Hove.

The Argus: Tyres deflated in Preston Park on Monday. Credit: Twitter/The Roundhill SocietyTyres deflated in Preston Park on Monday. Credit: Twitter/The Roundhill Society

Cllr Wilkinson, who speaks for Labour on Brighton and Hove City Council’s Environment, Transport and Sustainability Committee, said he believes the activist are using social media to encourage “criminal acts”.

He said: “These so-called tyre extinguisher activists have claimed on social media sites to have deflated more tyres in Brighton and Hove than any other city in the country, in an attempt to 'make it impossible' to own certain vehicles in urban areas.

“They are using websites to encourage people to commit what I believe to be criminal acts and have said they ‘don’t expect anyone to be apprehended’ and it is ‘better to break the law’.

The Argus: Tyre Extinguishers have been leaving leaflets on cars in Brighton and HoveTyre Extinguishers have been leaving leaflets on cars in Brighton and Hove

“Such is my concern that these may be encouraging others to commit offences, I have contacted both Facebook and Twitter to ask them to close the accounts of the group due to some of the content on the sites.”

Cllr Wilkinson said it is vital that the country tackles the climate crisis but added that “these mindless acts of vandalism” are “counterproductive”.

The Tyre Extinguishers have declared Brighton “the most extinguished city in the UK” after vehicles in Preston Park were targeted on Monday.

A spokesman for the group said: “If you live in posh Preston Park, you don’t need a massive polluting death machine.

"Brighton and Hove is now the most tyre-extinguished city in the UK and we hope to see even more people joining in.”

The Tyre Extinguishers describes themselves as “leaderless” and encourage people to take action by reading instructions on how to deflate tyres on their website.

People can also print off leaflets to leave on the windscreen of affected vehicles to inform drivers what has happened.

Activists are urged to avoid SUVs “clearly used” by people with disabilities or by tradespersons.

The Argus has contacted Facebook and Twitter.