A STUDENT campaign group is holding a protest in Darlington later this week to campaign against climate change.

Young Friends of the Earth Darlington are holding the strike on Friday, May 24 in Stanhope Park.

Organisers say the aim is to bring about governmental action by using their voices as students to show how much our future means to them.

The strike will consist of a protest over lunchtime starting at 12:50pm in Stanhope Park, with all students coming together, chanting, signs, banners and a speaker.

50 minutes later, when lunch ends at 1.40pm, the strike will begin and they will sit in the park as lessons go on.

Rosalind Monaghan, Youth Strike spokesperson, said: "The strike is about coming together peacefully to show how passionate we are about the blind destruction of the planet and to try to urge the government to take immediate action at whatever cost.

"The strike is our way of communicating that this issue is so important to us, and that we cannot sit by and watch as we destroy the planet.

"Our hope is that by doing this, we can communicate to politicians and the world how essential it is that we change our ways this very moment.

"We hope that people can allow us do this – we are facing one of the biggest threats to survival ever, and with only 12 years before it is too late, we hope that although we are small, we can make change happen."

Matthew Snedker, who is a leader of the group's weekly meetings, said “Young people are having to take this controversial action because politicians have been dodging the issue for thirty years or more.

"Local and national governments have failed to act on the clear advice that action is needed. The Youth Strikes are organised out hope and we need to hear their concerns."

Last month, tens of thousands of children and young people took part nationwide protests urging the government to introduce measures to address climate change and economic inequality.

It was the third major demonstration this year across the UK.