Climate activists from Norfolk have taken part in protests that saw the blockade of Downing Street and a sign for New Scotland Yard covered with yellow paint.

Hundreds of Extinction Rebellion supporters descended on Westminster to protest against Liz Truss’s approach to the environment during what was a difficult day for the Prime Minister.

Crowds of climate demonstrators arrived in Whitehall on Friday afternoon, carrying colourful flags, setting off flares, chanting and banging drums.

More than 20 protesters were arrested after the rotating sign for New Scotland Yard was covered with yellow paint.

Demonstrators also blocked the road in front of the Metropolitan Police’s headquarters during action by Just Stop Oil.

Lora Johnson, 38, of Keens Lane, Reydon, near Southwold, pleaded not guilty to charges of criminal damage at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Saturday morning.

Prosecutor Ola Oyedepo said she was part of the protest group who sprayed the sign and glued themselves to the floor.

The prosecutor said £4,750 has been spent trying to remove the paint from the sign and the ground under it.

District judge Tan Irkam released Johnson on bail on the condition she does not have paint or adhesive materials in a public place and set her trial for November 23 at City of London Magistrates’ Court.

“The court will not prevent you from lawfully protesting,” he said.

Joining the protest was Gabby Ditton, 28, from Norwich, who had previously warned environmental protest groups planned to band together this autumn to drive the police to "breaking point".

She said: “We did try petitions and marches and strongly worded emails before this, but that didn’t work.

“And now we’re in a situation where all of life on earth could be destroyed forever in the name of short-term profit. So yeah, I absolutely support this.

“It’s peaceful, it’s non-violent, it’s stressful to watch but what other choice do we have?”

In Whitehall many demonstrators were carrying placards with slogans such as “Employee of the month” above a Shell logo and a picture of Ms Truss as well as “Polluters must pay, listen to the people” and “People and the planet before profit”.

Conservation scientist Dr Charlie Gardner, 43, from Norwich, who was at the protest with a group of other scientists, said the Government’s recent policies affecting climate change and the protection of nature are “completely unacceptable”.

“I want to change the Government. This one is completely incompetent, completely immoral,” he said.
“Rather than doing what needs to be done, the Government is doing the exact opposite.

“As a scientist I find this intolerable.

“Why have I spent my career generating this information if the information is just going to be ignored?”