Edinburgh Tyre Extinguishers deflate 45 SUVs in the Capital as they issue warning ahead of Edinburgh Festival

Enviromental activists, Tyre Extinguishers Edinburgh, claim they deflated 45 SUV overnight in the Dean area of the city.

Edinburgh streets that were targeted include Eton Terrace, Belgrave Crescent, Belgrave Place, Lennox Street, and Oxford Terrace.

Claiming responsibility for deflating the vehicles, the Tyre Extinguishers also issued a warning to tourists attending next months Edinburgh Festival.

Amy Kidd from Edinburgh Tyre Extinguishers said: "If you're visiting Edinburgh for the festival, leave your polluting SUV at home, otherwise you might wake up to find lentils in the tyres. We're happy for you to visit the city, just don't choke our lungs and clog up our streets doing it."This latest operation is at least the sixth Tyre Extinguishers action in the Capital since March. More than 200 SUVs have been deflated in the Leith, Portobello, Hillside, Marchmont, Bruntsfield and New Town areas. However, the eco group are facing growing criticism from motorists and local councillors.

The Tyre Extinguishers want to make it “impossible” to own an SUV. It describes them as “a climate disaster”, “dangerous” and “unnecessary”.

Their groups have sprung up in the UK, USA, Austria, Germany, Switzerland, The Netherlands, Sweden and New Zealand.

Members of the group deflate tyres by pushing small objects, like lentils, into their valves. They also leave leaflets on the cars they target, explaining: “We do this because driving around urban areas in your massive vehicle has huge consequences for others.”

The Tyre Extinguishers have targeted hundreds of 4x4s in Edinburgh and thousands more across the UK.

The Tyre Extinguishers have demanded that the government introduce “bans on SUVs in urban areas, pollution levies to tax SUVs out of existence, and massive investment infree, comprehensive public transport". However, they say: “Until politicians make this a reality, Tyre Extinguishers action will continue.”

SUVs feature elements of standard cars but are larger and have off-road capabilities such as high ground clearance.

Petrol and diesel-powered models are generally less fuel efficient than cars.

The Tyre Extinguishers say even electric and hybrid SUVs are “fair game” as there are “not enough rare earth metals” to replace all cars with them, and “the danger to other road users still stands”.

The Fringe, which will put on its first full programme since 2019, begins on August 5.