Police have arrested eight people after Greenpeace protesters “blocked” an oil tanker that had arrived in the Thames from Russia.

The environmental group said activists snuck past security and climbed onto the spot where the ship was meant to dock in Essex on Sunday night.

It said the Andromeda tanker appeared to make a U-turn shortly after the protesters had taken up their positions.

Activists - dressed in hard hats and climbing gear - held banners saying “oil fuels war” and “fossil fuels war” from the berth.

Greenpeace said activists remained on the scene on Monday morning, including one hanging off the jetty.

Essex Police said it was on the scene and had arrested eight people on suspicion of aggravated tresspass.

The force said it was called to Naviator Terminals in Grays shortly after 11pm on Sunday to reports of people gaining access to the site.

“Our officers are currently working to resolve the situation quickly and safely,” it said in a statement.

“Policing is not anti-protest, but we must intervene where there is a risk to life or where there is a suspicion laws are being broken.”

Greenpeace said it targeted the Andromeda tanker, which vessel tracking websites showed left the Russian port of Primorsk last week.

As it sails under the Greek flag, the ship is not banned from docking in the UK.

Only Russian ships - not vessels carrying Russian goods - have been shut out from British ports due to the invasion of Ukraine.

But dock workers have blocked Russian fossil fuels from being unloaded in the UK in protest over Vladimir Putin’s war.

Greenpeace activists confronted an oil tanker with Russian oil at sea as it was heading to England last month.

The environmental group said the UK has imported Russil oil worth more than £220m in the first two months of the invasion of Ukraine.

The UK has vowed to phase out Russian oil imports by the end of the year in response to the war.