Extinction Rebellion activist scales Angel of the North to hang 30-foot banner

Extinction Rebellion activists have scaled the Angel of the North to hang a banner sporting the group's name.

A member of the campaign group was photographed abseiling down the Gateshead landmark on Monday 11 July.

She had just installed the 30-foot symbol to kick off what the group is calling its Summer Uprising.

The protests are set to cause widespread disruption to draw attention to environmental issues.

"Time is running out," said Amy from XR Tyneside.

"The UK Government is paralysed with a political upheaval. However, the level of CO2 continues to rise.

"The United Nations said in its most recent IPCC report that we have ‘a brief and rapidly closing window of opportunity to secure a livable future’.

"We need action now - not when our Government finally starts functioning again."

The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy said: “Over the past three decades, the UK has driven down emissions faster than any other G7 country, and we have clear plans to go further.

"This is backed up by £6bn of funding to make our homes and buildings more energy efficient, planting up to 30,000 hectares of new trees a year and more electric cars than ever before."

It continued: "We are leading the world on climate change, helping over 90% of countries set net-zero targets during our COP26 Presidency.

"The Glasgow Climate Pact has focused the eyes of the world on bolstering action, including getting 190 countries to agree to phasing out coal.”

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