CLIMATE change activists have staged a series of fresh protests, targeting BBC sites across the country.

Extinction Rebellion called on the corporation to declare a “climate and ecological emergency” as the group demonstrated outside sites including Glasgow, Bristol, Sheffield, Birmingham and the broadcaster's London HQ which has been placed on lockdown.

The BBC was urged to make climate emergency its top editorial and corporate priority, divest investments from fossil fuel corporations, and to become zero carbon by 2025.

A BBC spokesman said: “We’ve received a letter from this newly formed campaign group. The BBC has a proud record of leading the way in sustainability in the media industry and we’ve set out further action including cutting energy use further, eradicating single use plastic and minimising the impact of necessary travel. In the last Charter period, we reduced our carbon footprint by a third.”

Serena Schellenberg of Extinction Rebellion said: “Now more than at any time in its history, we need the BBC to honour its founding value to be ‘independent, impartial and honest’.

"We’re facing a potentially existential threat to both our nation and our species, but the BBC’s coverage is nowhere close to reflecting this."