ENVIRONMENT campaigners walked out in protest during a Wiltshire Council meeting after voicing concerns to cabinet members about climate change.

Extinction Rebellion urged councillors to declare a climate change emergency and lobby central government to do more over the environmental issues.

Last month Bristol City Council committed to becoming carbon neutral by 2030.

However council leader Jane Scott said that it was not appropriate to make a similar bid, which prompted the group of 20 campaigners to walk out of the meeting.

The group spoke out about rising sea levels, carbon emission and increasing numbers of animal extinction.

Council leader Jane Scott said the council had increased recycling, encouraged electronic cars and moved to replace all street lights with low emission LEDs to work to combat climate change.

Speaking in front of cabinet members, Dan Hunt, of Extinction Rebellion, said: “You might not realise how serious the situation is and the lack of action in this country about climate change. Local emissions are back on the rise after stagnating for the last three years.

60 per cent of animals have become extinct since 1970, that is half the lives in half a life time. Central Government can be lobbied to act if local councils show they are on our side.”

Mrs Scott said: “We all realise this is important, I am not sure it is an emergency, but that is for us to discuss and something we take very seriously at Wiltshire Council.

"That is why we are taking steps to be highly efficient. We are doing what we can but all local authorities have enormous financial pressure and we have to prioritise.

"I do not think it is something that would be appropriate for us to do, I think it is something that is for national Government.”

During the same meeting, the council agreed plans to invest £12m in fitting energy efficient LED lights throughout the county, which will see a 1770 tonne reduction in CO2 emissions.

Cllr Matthew Dean said: “Lighting is one of the largest examples of carbon footprints consumption.

"It’s very easy to make a bold statement like Bristol City Council but actually people should judge us on our actions not words and this is something demonstrative that we have done.”