CLIMATE change activists were out in force in Marlborough on Saturday to hold a non-violent protest that brought the High Street to a standstill.

Gill Goode, who helped organise the march, said: "Less than a month since Extinction Rebellion’s brand of non-violent, civil disobedience brought central London to a standstill, the group’s local Devizes and Marlborough branch attracted more than 200 supporters to a protest along Marlborough High Street.

"The protesters, all local residents, included toddlers, primary and secondary age children, mothers, fathers and grandparents.

"Setting off from the town’s library at 11am, the group formed a slow-moving, walking roadblock that reduced the Saturday morning traffic to a crawl."

She said the protesters wanted to raise awareness amongst Marlborough shoppers and residents of the Government’s inaction on the climate crisis.

Ms Goode, who is the co-ordinator for the Extinction Rebellion Devizes and Marlborough group, said: "Local residents were taking to the streets to demand a future for our planet. The UN and thousands of scientists tell us that if we carry on as we are and our climate warms beyond 1.5 degrees we will face ecological and human catastrophe.

"Food and water shortages, irreversible ecological damage and loss of wildlife as we know it will impact every one of us across the world, including those of us living here in Wiltshire.

"We are urging people to write to their MP and call for immediate action from the Government, such as a rejection of pro-fossil fuel policies like Heathrow Expansion, and to join our group to get their voices heard."

Anyone interested in joining the campaign should go to Facebook: Extinction Rebellion Devizes and Marlborough.

The group is planning further events in the coming weeks.