STUDENTS gathered outside the town hall in Blackburn as part of a UK-wide protest against climate change.

Chalk written messages on the ground outside the building said ‘Save our Planet! Take action now!’ and banners were used during their protest.

The movement started in August when schoolgirl Greta Thunberg held a solo protest outside the Swedish parliament.

One of the Blackburn College students taking part, Charis Whitehead-St Pierre, said: “It started with a 15-year-old from Sweden who protested that her government and decisionmakers were not doing enough to reduce climate change.

"We are here outside the town hall to make the council think about us being more eco-friendly and reduce fossil fuels.

"Temperatures and water levels are rising all the time and we have only got a few years to act."

Up to 70,000 schoolchildren held protests in 270 towns and cities worldwide.