A UK-based activist group that deflates tyres of large vehicles, such as SUVs has announced its expansion into the US.

The so-called ‘Tyre Extinguishers’ have admitted that they have targeted SUVs in New York City for the first time, with 40 SUVs having their tyres let down.

Using leaflets in American English (‘tire’ rather than ‘tyre’), 40 SUVs had their wheels deflated in the Upper East Side.

During COP26, the activist group Tyred of SUVs claimed responsibility for the incident that saw a number of SUVs in Glasgow’s West End left with deflated tyres and a flyer on the windshields.

Starting initially in the UK, Tyre Extinguishers groups have sprung up in the UK, US, Austria, Germany, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Sweden and New Zealand.

In the UK, attacks on cars have taken place in London, Brighton, Bristol, Cambridge, Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Sheffield, Liverpool and Manchester.

In their manifesto, activists said: “SUVs and 4x4s are a disaster for our health, our public safety and our climate. Bigger and bigger cars are dominating our towns and cities, and all so a privileged few can flaunt their wealth.

“Because governments and politicians have failed to protect us from this danger, we must protect ourselves.

“We want to make it impossible to own a huge polluting 4×4 in the world’s urban areas.”

A spokesperson of the group told ELN: “We are rapidly expanding across the US and are in touch with people in major cities across the US. We expect our movement to expand massively.”