People living in Surrey have hung banners over the M25 in support of Extinction Rebellion's campaign calling for an end to the use of fossil fuels. A group of residents unfurled banners off bridges at junction eight of the motorway, as well as near Heathrow and at Colley Hill.

The banners carry warnings including “fossil fuels are killing us” and “the climate crisis is now” and called on people to “join the rebellion”. It formed part of a week of action held ahead of the April Rebellion, a climate protest taking place in London from April 9 to 17.

Roger Lockey, aged 66 and a retired builder and property maintenance specialist from Reigate, said: “The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report released this week tells all of us in no uncertain terms that we are in deep trouble, and that we need to stop burning fossil fuels now to have any chance of avoiding the worst of the climate crisis we have been facing for the last thirty years.

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“I am extremely fearful of the consequences for our planet and for the future generations growing up now, including my two beautiful children. I am very perplexed, angry, and let down by successive governments that have done effectively nothing to confront this existential crisis. And still they procrastinate.”

Deborah Ellis, 62, a retired teacher also from Reigate, added: “The Government does not seem to be taking on board the seriousness of humanity’s situation with regard to climate change. We all need to join together and demand action. This is why I feel driven to partake in these banner drops and demand they stop fossil fuel extraction now.”