EXTINCTION Rebellion, the climate change protest group springing into action all around the world, is setting up a Chippenham group.

The first meeting - called Climate Change: Heading for Extinction (and what to do about it) is taking place on April 1 at 7.30pm at the Jubilee Building in Market Place. The meeting was set up by Myla Watts - who lives in Chippenham and works in administration at the University of Bath.

"I joined in some of the demonstrations back in November in London," she said. "I have spoken to the Bath group and the Swindon group. I thought we needed a group in Chippenham, and that if nobody else will do it, I will have a go."

ER says that the publication of the 2018 UN's IPCC Report on Climate Change shows scientists believe we may have entered a period of abrupt climate breakdown, and that we are now in the midst of the sixth mass extinction. Nationally ER has organised acts of civil disobedience, such as closing London's bridges, to urge the Government into taking action. Myla is hoping a local group would get involved.

"This first meeting will explain how this is the situation and what we can do about it," she said. "We are in a really, really dire situation on climate change - personally I find the whole thing terrifying."

Myla, 42, has a daughter who is almost seven, and she said her hopes for the next generation were a big motivating factor,

"The people who are her age and younger will suffer to so many consequences if we don't act now," she said.

The group's inaugural meeting will include a talk from Dr Rosie Jones and a whistle-stop tour of the latest science on accelerating climate change, along with the current psychology around climate change and solutions. Questions and discussion will follow.

Everyone is welcome to the meeting, though it is not suitable for under 16s.