The head of Britain's Home Office, Suella Braverman, intends to give police more powers to tackle destructive protests by eco-activists, Sky News television channel reports.

In recent months, activists from the Just Stop Oil and Extinction Rebellion movements who advocate stopping oil and gas production have stuck themselves to paintings in galleries and organized various protests and demonstrations that have led to traffic disruptions in central London.

According to the channel, Braverman intends to introduce a public order bill in Parliament that would expand police powers and impose greater penalties on protesters if the protests result in "serious disruption" or threaten “serious disruption or a serious adverse impact on public safety.”

The police need enhanced, tougher powers to match the growth of doomed protest tactics, and that's exactly what the public order bill would provide, the network quoted Braverman as saying.

According to the Interior Ministry, the bill would protect access to basic goods, services and key infrastructure. The plan would criminalize interference with facilities such as oil refineries, airports, railroads and printing houses. Such an offense would carry penalties of up to 12 months in prison, an unlimited fine, or both. The bill also includes criminalization of other offenses specific to eco-activist protesters.