Activists with Extinction Rebellion (XR) in Kingston targeted the Barclays branch in the town centre on Saturday (June 19) to highlight the bank's ongoing links to the fossil fuel industry.

The climate campaigners dressed as cleaners nicknamed 'The Dirty Scrubbers' and theatrically 'washed' the bank to highlight its funding of fossil fuel industries that are driving the climate crisis.

While playful in nature, the demonstrators said their aim was "deadly serious" in seeking to point out how dangerous the ongoing use of fossil fuels is as the planet heats up.

"Our action was playful and theatrical and, as you may have noticed, we got quite a bit of attention. But the aim was deadly serious: to highlight the role of banks in the climate and ecological emergency (CEE).

"We visited you because your employer is the worst offender in the UK and Europe. Today, we’re sending you this open letter to implore you to push for change," a spokesperson for the group wrote in an open letter seen by the Surrey Comet and seemingly addressed to Barclays.

XR singled out Barclays amid growing concerns about the bank's continued involvement in funding fossil fuel projects, despite its claims to be committed to reaching zero-carbon future.

According to a report by the NGO Market Forces earlier this year, Barclays bank are the "biggest financier of fossil fuels in Europe and the seventh-largest in the world", having "financed around US $145 billion in fossil fuels" since 2015 when the landmark Paris Climate Agreement was signed.

Kingston XR, who urged employees at the Barclays branch in Kingston to campaign for green reforms within the bank itself, said they undertook the action as they were "terrified" by the immediate dangers, such as food shortages, extreme weather events and social upheaval posed by the climate crisis.

"We’re ordinary local people, with jobs, partners, children and grandchildren. And we’re terrified at the path the world is on.

"Of course, we understand employees of a local branch have little influence over the way Barclays invests its customers’ money.

"But we’re appealing to you and your colleagues to put pressure on your employers to make dramatic changes. We have very little time left," a spokesperson said.

Barclays for their part have insisted they are committed to the goals of the Paris Agreement, achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, and have touted recent investments in greener energy sources.

Responding to a request from the Surrey Comet, a spokesperson for Barclays said:

"We have made a commitment to align our entire financing portfolio to the goals of the Paris Agreement, with specific targets and transparent reporting, on the way to achieving our ambition to be a net zero bank by 2050.

"We believe that Barclays can make a real contribution to tackling climate change and help accelerate the transition to a low-carbon economy."