Climate camp protesters target bank

Climate campaigners targeted the head office of a leading bank today in the latest protest by activists attending a climate camp.

Dressed as construction workers, they used stepladders, locks and superglue to form a blockade at the RBS building in the City of London.

They unfurled banners which read "RBS: under new ownership" and "Ethical renovation in progress".

The activists said they were protesting against the bank's investments in fossil fuel projects, especially funding for the coal industry and tar sands extraction in Canada.

Protester James Clarke said: "RBS is 70%-owned by the public but it is completely against the public interest for our money to be used to fund climate change. Yet again, the banks are putting profit over people."

Another protester, Bryony Taylor, 20, said: "This is an anti-banks holiday. We are here to say that the banks, especially RBS, need to be fundamentally reconstructed to put sustainability at the top of their agenda.

"It is outrageous that bankers are being given multimillion- pound golden hellos from taxpayers' money while showing total disregard for the future of the planet."

Climate camp activists also staged a protest on the roof of a building in central London that houses public relations company Edelman, which activists said was the firm behind advertising plans for a coal-fired power station at Kingsnorth in Kent.

A group of demonstrators also occupied the lobby and entrance to the building.

One of the protesters, Alice Fielding, said: "Edelman PR are nothing more than new coal spin doctors, intent on making profit out of E.On's activities at the expense of the global climate."

The climate camp was set up in south-east London last Wednesday and will run until the end of this week.

People taking part have now staged a series of protests outside buildings in central London, including the Treasury yesterday.