Climate protestors including a masked and hooded person marched through Southampton's streets, calling on action to stop climate change.

The march this afternoon was part of an International Day of Action by the Climate Justice Coalition.

Starting at Guildhall Square at 12.45pm, it saw Southampton campaigners walk through the city to the Bargate and back to the sound of drums while holding up signs and banners demanding an end to the use of fossil fuels.

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Leading them was a person cloaked in a black hood and a white mask, who was seen dancing around to the sound of the drums and drawing a few raised eyebrows from passersby.

They were holding a sign with an hourglass on it - signifying time running out to stop climate change.

Young and old walked through the city centre united in one voice while bystanders watched and the odd snarky comment was heard.

Daily Echo: Extinction Rebellion protest in SouthamptonLyn Brayshaw, spokesperson for Friends of the Earth Southampton, said: “Climate breakdown is no longer a problem of the future - it’s happening now, and above all climate related disasters are happening in countries that did the least to contribute to this crisis.

“Meanwhile, the UK has signed off plans to expand drilling for new oil and gas – adding flames to the fire, and doing nothing to reduce the cost of living but doing plenty to add to the profits of the corporations most responsible for this crisis, paid for by us through our extortionate bills."

Andrew Godfrey-Collins, 38, spokesperson for Extinction Rebellion Southampton, told the Echo: “A lot of the solutions level need to be happening at international and national level and there are things that the local councils don’t have the power to do.

“In terms of how serious threat that it is, the amount of attention being paid to it in the media is not proportionate.

“We often have a record temperature set and it won’t even be the top story of the day.”

When asked about whether Extinction Rebellion would be adopting disruptive tactics in its protests in Southampton - such as gluing themselves to objects - he added: “I think there are a lot of people trying very different things, there are also people protesting for action who are adopting non-violent ways.

“We have previously decided they will not be taking any action which will be disruptive, and they announced it at the start of this year.”