Edinburgh Tyre Extinguishers hit 'wealthy' New Town area and deflate tyres of 40 SUVs overnight in the city

The climate group vow to continue their work in Edinburgh

The Tyre Extinguishers have claimed they deflated the tyres of 40 SUVs overnight in the Capital.

The climate activists hit Edinburgh’s New Town during the night on Tuesday, March 28. They targeted cars in the ‘wealthy’ area, on streets including Fettes Row, Royal Crescent, Drummond Place, Scotland Street and Dundonald Street. Last night’s action marks the 12th time that Tyre Extinguishers have struck the Capital since March 2022. Previously, the group has deflated SUVS in Bruntsfield, Leith, Portobello, Marchmont and The Grange.

The guerrilla environment group has promised to continue deflating cars in the city until the council takes action against SUVs. Elspeth, a spokesperson for Tyre Extinguishers Edinburgh, said: "Nobody living in the city centre needs to drive a tank. We will continue our actions until Edinburgh Council starts creating a city focused around people, not cars. People are dying because of these massive cars, because of air pollution and climate change - and the city council administration has no serious plans to change this”.

Tyre Extinguishers Edinburgh claim they deflated 40 SUVs overnight in the New Town area of the Capital.

Tyre Extinguishers Edinburgh are part of a global movement, which aims to make it ‘impossible’ to own an SUV in urban areas. Members deflate tyres by pushing small objects, like lentils, into their valves. According to the group, SUV’s are a “climate disaster” which “cause air pollution and make our roads more dangerous”. The movement has now deflated the tyres of over 10,000 SUVs in countries across the globe including the UK, the USA, France, Spain, Germany, New Zealand, and Italy.

SUVs (or Sport Utility Vehicles) are cars with off-road features, like raised ground clearance and four-wheel drive, which tend to have poor fuel efficiency. A study found that SUVs were the second largest contributor to the global increase in CO2 emissions between 2010 and 2018. The vehicles have also been criticised for being dangerous to other road users and pedestrians. A US study found that children are eight times more likely to be killed in a collision with an SUV than a normal car.

A spokesperson for Police Scotland said: "We have received reports of vehicle tyres being deliberately deflated in the New Town area of Edinburgh. This is a reckless and potentially dangerous act which could put drivers and other road users at risk.

“Enquiries are ongoing and we would encourage members of the public to call us immediately if they see anyone acting suspiciously close to parked vehicles.

“I would also urge all drivers to check their vehicle before setting off and to contact the police on 101 should they suspect their vehicle has been tampered with.”