Climate protesters interrupt council meeting

Tina Matthew from 1,000 Voices says her group is no longer allowed to talk to councillors during meetings

Climate protesters have forced the suspension of a full council meeting.

The campaigners played loud music outside Thursday's meeting of West Northamptonshire Council.

They said the council was "doing nothing" about climate change and toxic air.

The authority said it was in the process of putting together an air quality action plan.

The 1,000 Voices campaign has made its presence felt at council meetings before.

In February, protesters made their way into a council meeting and handed out 102 fake death certificates, representing the number of people who they claimed would die this year because of council inaction on air quality.

A month later, one of the group fell to the ground coughing and spluttering during a council meeting to represent another death from toxic air.

Campaigners unroll a long 1,000 Voices banner during a protest at a previous council meeting

This time, they assembled outside the Guildhall in Northampton and played loud music - Breathe by The Prodigy and Killing in the Name by Rage Against The Machine.

Inside the chamber, the chairman of the council, Jo Gilford, stopped proceedings, saying "Can someone hear a noise?"

She was told that the sound was coming from the courtyard outside and security officers were going to investigate.

The meeting continued, but the music became too much of a distraction and Ms Gilford called for a break while the situation was dealt with.

The campaigners on Thursday night set up a stand in the Guildhall courtyard

One of the campaigners, Tina Matthew, told the BBC that the demonstration was marking the first year of the 1,000 Voices campaign.

She said: "West Northamptonshire Council need to do something about toxic air, leadership and the climate.

"They've done nothing - all they've done is chosen to block us from going into the chamber.

"Up until March last year, we were allowed to sit in front and talk to them, but they've now annexed us in a room so we can't even speak face-to-face with them."

The council has been asked for a response.