CLIMATE emergency campaigners today marched on County Hall in Trowbridge to demand more action on climate change.

More than 30 members of groups belonging to the Wiltshire Climate Alliance demanded more urgent action from Wiltshire Council to address the global climate emergency.

They said that thousands of people throughout Wiltshire cared enough about the climate emergency to seek change.

The protest comes on the first year anniversary of Wiltshire Council declaring a climate emergency.

Jo Ripley, of Devizes and Marlborough Extinction Rebellion, said: "The problem is that the council is not taking on the climate emergency.

"They have done some low level stuff but we need more action because there is an enormous amount of work to be done."

The campaigners are demanding more action from Wiltshire Council on reducing carbon emissions from transport and housing.

They called on the council to take more action to install renewable energy sources such as solar panels and windfarms.

Richard Clewer, the council's deputy leader, said the council was doing all it could within its tight budgets to meet its objective of being carbon neutral by 2030.

He told the protestors: "We are drawing up a plan and we hope that it will be completed by the end of the year.

"We have already spent £12.8 million on replacing street lights with LED lighting, £5.2m on installing renewable energy in our own buildings, and £3.5m on to £3.5M in solar canopy covers to go into our car parks to enable energy to be generated whilst still earning revenue from parked cars."

Mr Clewer acknowledged there was more to do but said the council needed ideas and support from the local community in order to make changes.

"If we are going to address the issue properly we need to know where the emissions are coming from.

"If we all make little changes, it all adds up. We need to show people how to change and how they can make a difference."

Some of the protestors were allowed into today's council budget setting and council tax meeting to make statements and ask specific questions highlighting the importance of the climate and ecological emergency.

The Wiltshire Climate Alliance is a network of local groups and individuals campaigning for action in Wiltshire on the global climate emergency.

The Alliance comprises members of environmental groups, including Extinction Rebellion in Devizes and Marlborough, Zero Chippenham, Chippenham Bees, Malmesbury Ckimate Action Network, Salisbury Green Party, Trowbridge Environmental Community, Westbury Gasification Action Group, Climate Friendly Bradford on Avon and many more.

It is asking people to sign a petition at www.change.org/p/wiltshire-council-wiltshire-council-should-take-the-climate-ecological-crisis-seriously