Climate activists reportedly flattened the tyres on 100 SUVs in Edinburgh last night as part of a targeted campaign.
The Tyre Extinguishers group said the attacks were its largest night of action in the city so far, claiming their 'campaign is escalating'.
Posting about their 'progress' online, the climate conscious vandals tweeted: 'LAST NIGHT: Multiple Tyre Extinguishers teams out in Edinburgh, Scotland, for their biggest night yet, hitting three different areas and disarming 100 SUVs!
"Our campaign is escalating. Will you join us?'
The group believes there is no need for four-wheel-drive vehicles in urban areas, and campaigners deflated tyres of SUVs in places including the Grange, Portobello and the New Town.
Similar incidents have taken place in countries including Sweden, New Zealand, Switzerland, Germany and the Netherlands.
A spokesperson for the Edinburgh Tyre Extinguishers said: "Politicians talk, we act. We will defend ourselves from air pollution, climate change and unsafe roads, and we urge others to join us.
"Edinburgh is a small city with good public transport. Nobody living in the centre of town needs to own one of these death machines."
Earlier this month, a motorist whose vehicle was targeted in Leith urged other owners to inform the police "before someone is injured or killed."
The group have also previously left notes on vehicles they targeted which read 'Attention - your gas guzzler kills'.
A member of the group who lives in Edinburgh said: "We would never target working-class areas but our actions will continue, in this city and beyond.
"Until we see SUVs put on the scrapheap - by politicians or people learning that buying one means it will likely have its tyres deflated - we will continue our action.
"Cars must be designed out of cities.
"Edinburgh is a small city with relatively good public transport. Most people don't need to drive.
"We want bans on SUVs in urban areas, pollution levies to tax SUVs out of existence, and massive investment in free, comprehensive public transport.
"We have been compelled to act because asking politely for safe streets, clean air and climate action has failed.
"If governments and politicians won't protect us, we will protect ourselves by making it impossible to own a huge polluting vehicle in Edinburgh."
The group, which claims to have 'disarmed' nearly 2,000 SUVs across the UK, encourages people to visit its website to learn how to deflate tyres.
Recent research shows SUV sales increased 10 per cent between 2020 and 2021 putting them on course to make up nearly half - 45 per cent - of global car sales and making them one of the largest contributors to increase in global CO2 emissions.
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