A Farnborough dad caused traffic chaos on Friday when he staged a one-man protest above the M25 motorway near Surrey.

Geoffrey Hibbert, 48, dressed as Batman, climbed up onto a gantry just before junction 14 at about 7am.

The Fathers 4 Justice activist was brought down at about 4pm.

Thousands of motorists, including holiday-makers on their way to Heathrow Airport and commuters heading into Surrey for work, were caught in traffic jams throughout the day after police closed two lanes on the six-lane motorway.

Tailbacks were as long as 15 miles stretching to junction 18 at Chorleywood in Hertfordshire.

The clockwise carriageway was open as usual.

"Annoy hundreds of people"

Speaking to the Farnborough News and Mail on Friday morning, Matt O'Connor, founder of the protest group, said IT engineer Mr Hibbert was prepared to stay on the gantry for as long as he could.

Eyewitness Suzy Talbot said she was on her way to work this morning when she got caught up in traffic queuing from junction 17.

She said: " When we got to junction 14 about two hours later, the police had closed off three lanes and had about eight cars there although they didn't seem to be doing much.

"He [Mr Hibbert] had put three banners up and was just standing there in a Batman costume waving at people.

"While I do have a lot of sympathy for dads who can't see their children I'm not sure this is the best way of making a point.

"He just managed to annoy hundreds of people, whether on their way to work or trying to get to the airport for a much-deserved holiday.

"Having spent the best part of three hours sitting in a car with the sun blazing through the glass, my sympathy for their cause is rapidly diminishing.

"I was two hours late for work and it took me three hours to do what is normally a 50-minute journey on a Friday."