EERIE figures dressed from head to foot in red walked solemnly into a meeting of Herefordshire Council today.

They were campaigners making a point about the council's climate change policies.

There was no indication of what the mysterious campaigners were doing. They simply walked silently up to the chairman, Sebastian Bowen, then turned and walked out.

There was a ripple of applause from councillors and public, who seemed a little confused about what was happening.

Earlier campaigners handed out trees to councillors outside Hereford Shire Hall in celebration of Herefordshire Council's climate commitments.

Extinction Rebellion members from across the county are have come together to congratulate the administration on making its first budget a “climate-friendly” budget.

Members of the group then walked into the meeting and went up to Councillor Bowen.

Campaigner Alice Spearman said: “It’s encouraging to see the council taking a first small step towards lessening its inevitable impacts on all of us in Herefordshire by quadrupling its planned expenditure on measures to tackle our climate crisis.

"We are also pleased to see that they are reviewing some of the climate wrecking plans they inherited from the previous administration as part of their road building programme."

To celebrate the first anniversary of the council’s climate emergency declaration, the campaigners say they will hand every local councillor a tree, to plant in a suitable place in their ward.

Councillors are being invited to label their tree: “In planting this tree I pledge to consider the full life time of this tree and that from this day forward all decisions I make on behalf of the residents of Herefordshire will take all future generations into account.”

More than 20 climate change activists gathered outside Hereford Shire Hall ahead of the cabinet meeting this morning.

A Herefordshire Extinction Rebellion spokesperson said: "Only by properly considering all future generations and the health of the natural world on which they will depend can we adequately address the climate crisis.

"By recognising there is a climate crisis and putting the required changes into effect, XR believes there are huge opportunities to create a better, greener future for everyone in our beautiful county.

"We are already working with landowners, Herefordshire Wildlife Trust, the Size of Herefordshire and others to dramatically increase the tree cover in the county.

"We see a massive community-led tree-planting scheme as one small but key part of creating that better future we envisage. Business as usual is not an option."