Climate vigilante group The Tyre Extinguishers who waged war on 4x4s will end vandalism after nearly five years 'disarming thousands of SUVs in 22 countries'

An eco-zealot vigilante group known as the Tyre Extinguishers have announced they have flattened their final tyre after nearly five years. The group terrorised drivers in leafy suburbs by skulking around in the dead of night to deflate the tyres of 'gas-guzzling' 4x4s, including Range Rovers, Mazdas and Volkswagens. They called for a ban on SUVs in cities claiming their goal was to make it 'impossible' to own a 4x4 in any urban areas. They claimed to have deflated more than 5,000 tyres across the world in 22 countries, hitting drivers in cities in the US, Canada , Australia and New Zealand . In the UK, eco-warriors focused on upmarket urban areas in Edinburgh , Manchester, Birmingham and London , using small objects to slowly deflate the tyres. Under the cover of darkness, the brazen criminals would target a whole street of vehicles in a single night, aiming for the most expensive cars – even electric models. The group often left leaflets underneath the windscreen wipers telling drivers why they had been targeted. Now they have announced they are disbanding and shutting down their website. The vigilantes make no exception for electric or hybrid SUVs, insisting that they still pollute and cause congestion In an announcement on social media, a spokesperson for the Tyre Extinguishers said they are 'bowing out' after four and a half years of creating 'rage'. They wrote: 'However, the fight against supersized cars taking over our cities continues. We are happy to have inspired hundreds of people across the globe to disarm thousands of SUVs in 22 countries. We urge you to continue! 'We are so happy to have worked with so many brave people - pretty much all of whom we have never met and never will! 'The people behind The Tyre Extinguishers continue their work, in other struggles. In the face of spineless governments, sabotage is a legitimate tool to advance climate action. 'We fully expect to see people continue to **** with these death machines in cities - and we salute them! 'Our socials will remain online, but the website will now disappear. La lutte continue!' 'La lutte' is French for 'the struggle'. The group did not properly begin action until March 2022, when it advised its members with a 'how to deflate an SUV tyre' guide. It encouraged them to 'target posh areas' and to practise deflating bicycle tyres before carrying out the senseless vandalism. They also insisted that even electric and hybrid SUVs were 'fair game'. A spokesman for the Alliance of British Drivers previously condemned the group, saying the people doing this should receive 'full consequence of the law'. They previously said: 'It's difficult to comprehend how people could do this. It's honestly quite monstrous. 'What do they think they're gaining? It's ridiculous. They want to take it out on owners and create all sorts of problems for people. 'What they're doing is illegal, and the punishment should fit the crime. Quite honestly the crime is pretty nasty. 'We must deal with them properly and put an end to it once and for all'. The Tyre Extinguishers claim to have deflated the tyres of more than 2,000 SUVs Eco-activists The Tyre Extinguishers claim SUVs were being 'disarmed' because they are 'death machines' In 2022, the group created a bizarre 'European cup competition' – with protesters setting up a 'leader board' of attacks, with activists in Paris claiming they were challenging Bristol and Brighton for the title of 'most extinguished city'. After boasting of 'disarming' more than 120 vehicles in just one night, activists in France issued a rallying cry. In 2024, residents of the leafy Sands End area of Fulham, west London, fell victim to the eco-vandals. They attacked seven Range Rovers, one Bentley and one Porsche in the midnight spree on expensive vehicles. However in an embarrassing blunder, the bungling zealots targeted the owner of a renewable gas company, who blasted the group for going after 'the wrong people'. He told the Mail: 'I'm fuming to be honest. It's very frustrating. 'A stunt like this is just so short-sighted and with no context. They're not targeting other cars even though they may have higher carbon emissions.' The man, who requested to remain anonymous, said he discovered the puncture as he was heading out to get his electric bike fixed. He added: 'I rarely even use my car. About once or twice a month when I venture out of London or go abroad so I can take my dogs. 'Instead I walk or use my electric bike. But they clearly don't care about that'. Asked what he would say to the mob that damaged his car, he explained: 'I'd honestly rather have a conversation with them and open a dialogue. Rather than just letting my tyres down and making some irrelevant statement'. In 2023, the group targeted a Jaguar dealership, using the tragic death of two young girls in a crash at a school as justification. At the Exeter business, they stepped up their usual approach, using a drill to inflict tangible damage on the tyres, rather than merely deflating them. Globally, the number of SUVs has increased from less than 50 million in 2010 to more than 320 million – equivalent to the total car fleet of Europe. Because of their size, on average, SUVs consume around a quarter more energy than medium-sized cars. A 2019 study by the International Energy Agency found that they rank among the top contributors to energy-related carbon dioxide emissions growth over the past decade – cancelling out the reductions from people switching to electric cars. They are also said to be more dangerous when involved in an accident because of their bulky size.