Campaigners brought parts of the M4 to a standstill this morning as they staged planned go-slow protests over high fuel prices.
Police closed the Prince of Wales bridge in both directions at 11am for around 50 minutes to seize some vehicles from the convoy. Eight people are understood to have been arrested for driving below the pre-agreed 30mph minimum speed limit.
The protests are understood to have been organised via social media as part of action calling for a cut in fuel duty. They come as the latest figures from Experian show the average price of petrol reached a new high of 191.5p per litre on Sunday, with diesel at 199.0p per litre.
READ MORE: Motorway chaos as fuel protesters deploy rolling road blocks
Gwent Police said protests are expected to take place on the road network between 7am and 7pm on Monday. Follow our live blog for the latest traffic and travel news.
Is there a minimum speed limit on UK motorways?
Minimum speed limits on UK roads are rare, including on motorways. They are enforced in places where "going too slowly can cause increased congestion or high risk of a crash, such as in tunnels", according to the RAC.
Zones are marked by a blue, circular sign containing the minimum speed in miles per hour. The same sign with a red diagonal line through it signifies the end of a zone.
Motorways do not generally have a minimum speed limit but drivers may attract the attention of police if their speed could be considered dangerous. The RAC says most people who fall foul of this are typically let off with a verbal warning, although they could be prosecuted for careless driving.
In the case of today's drive-slow protests on the M4, police warned protestors ahead of their demonstration that they must not stop nor drive slower than 30mph. A PA news agency reporter at the scene said this morning eight people had been arrested for breaking this limit.
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