CHANTS from young climate change protesters outside the council's officers on Euclid Street fell on deaf ears yesterday.

At least a dozen teenagers arrived outside the council's offices as part of co-ordinated nationwide strike with students from the Youth Strike 4 Climate movement.

The passionate cries for action over what the teenagers see as a climate disaster for future generations elicited almost no response from councillors who were not in the building at the time.

That didn't dampen the spirits of the protesters, who have called to have a meeting with the new mayor and warned of further action.

Suha Nubarrat, 17, said: "Nobody is really doing anything but the more I look into it the more scared I get for our future.

"Animals are already being affected, and now its affecting humans around the world too.

"I know the council can only do so much but if we can fund a leisure centre then we have the funds to keep our planet safe.

"We are not going to go away any time soon."

Megan Jo-Pagett, known as MJ, added: "What really gets me is that I have been lucky to still have a world with trees and parks and animals and I want the same for my kids.

"If we don't come out and organise the government won't, it's up to the kids to take responsibility because nobody else is going to do it.

"There are so many little things that could be done so we can make some massive changes."

Chloe Woodhouse said: "I'm usually a peace maker but shouting is sometimes the only way to get your voice across.

"It's up to them if they listen - as long as we keep showing up we'

ll see if our message will get heard."

The group said they are planning on staging similar days of action every second Friday of the month.

Swindon Borough Council's working group on climate change, chaired by councillor Keith Williams, met for the first time on March 21.

It will meet every two months to discuss ways to make Swindon carbon neutral but has not set binding targets on when it must reduce its carbon emissions.

Wiltshire Council passed two motions last month, one declaring a climate emergency and a second exploring actions it could take to achieve being carbon-neutral by 2030, such as creating a new cabinet position responsible for overseeing the progress.

Supporter of the protesters Tristan Strange, who said he was active with other climate change groups in Swindon, told the Adver it was "disgraceful" none of the councillors were able to come out and meet the young people chanting.

"We've got a climate change working group but we haven't had any feedback," he added.

"If you believe the science this is an emergency. But it is really fantastic to see them self-organise and I'm excited to see what happens."

The Youth Strike 4 Climate movement has seen school-age pupils across the country stage similar protesters after a global strike last month. It is holding a second global day of action on May 24.