Students of 12 and 13 years old were urging adults in South East Cornwall to take action on climate change as they took part in a global school strike today.

The group of eight Liskeard School and Community College students and one home-schooled student were out in the town with placards and were approaching members of the public to chat to them about the issue.

One said: ‘There isn’t much point in going to school if we’re not going to have a future.

‘We need to get people to realise that climate change is happening now, and that everyone needs to play their part in doing something about it, before it becomes irreversible.’

Another young woman said that her family was aiming to remove all plastic items from their household in order to protect the environment.

‘We’ve cut out plastic from the bathroom and we’re now using soap bars. We’re gradually working through the whole house.’

Extinction Rebellion was launched last year and Extinction Rebellion Youth, which formed recently, is demanding that governments ‘tell the truth about the climate and ecological emergency and act on it immediately’.

Young people were set to march in London and stop the traffic on Westminster Bridge this afternoon. In cities all over the UK, including in Truro, children and teenagers planned to protest outside government offices.

Youth Strike 4 Climate, who were coordinating the day of action, said: ‘We are choosing to rise up and take direct action where older generations have failed.

‘We are already facing devastating and irreversible impacts around the world. This is our final chance to fight for our futures, and our ages will not be what stop us.’