Aylesbury milk factory blockaded by climate activists

Animal Rebellion activists set up a protest outside the Arla milk factory in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire

Climate activists have blockaded the UK's largest milk factory and demanded the firm cuts its environmental impact.

About 50 people from Animal Rebellion locked themselves to barricades at the site in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire.

They said they would not leave until the company agreed to transition to plant-based production by 2025.

Arla said it was committed to working "in the most sustainable way possible" and aimed to be carbon net zero by 2050.

Animal Rebellion claimed the organisation emitted more greenhouse gases in 2017 than some mining companies and oil producers.

The protest group said a climate crisis could lead to unstable crop supplies to feed dairy cows and potentially expose them to heat stress for two months longer than usual.

Arla said it was working with police to "limit the impact" of the demonstration on its customers and those living nearby

An Arla spokeswoman said: "We are working with the police to limit the impact of this demonstration to both our customers and those living locally to the site.

"We have managed to complete our morning shift change over and all colleagues are safe, however, access to the site for our larger vehicles is being blocked.

"We are working to manage the impact of this."

Thames Valley Police said: "We remain on site at the scene of a protest at the Arla dairy.

"Our officers are managing the protest and public safety [and] protest removal teams have been deployed."

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