Weymouth climate change protester arrested while Sir David Attenborough dined

Dorset Police said Emma Smart was arrested on Thursday evening after allegedly causing a disturbance

A climate change protester has been arrested after reportedly approaching Sir David Attenborough at a Michelin-star restaurant on the south coast.

Dorset Police said Emma Smart, 45, was arrested on Thursday evening after an incident at Catch At The Old Fish Market in Weymouth.

Sir David had spent the day in the seaside town and posed for photos with members of the public.

Mrs Smart was charged with failing to comply with a Section 35 direction.

Dorset Police said the local ecologist was arrested after allegedly causing a disturbance and refusing to comply with officers after they asked her to leave the restaurant.

Animal Rebellion, the protest group supporting Mrs Smart, said the activist approached the table where Sir David was dining in an attempt to deliver a letter to him.

Sir David Attenborough was spotted in Weymouth Harbour on Thursday and spent time talking with locals

Mrs Smart, an ecologist from Weymouth, said she wanted a five-minute conversation with the environmentalist about the need to address climate change.

According to Animal Rebellion the ecologist targeted his visit to the Catch restaurant because of its expensive menu.

'A unique position'

Mrs Smart said in a statement: "The Catch is a symbol of excess and inequality in today's world, Weymouth has average wages amongst the lowest in the UK and is at huge risk of sea level rises.

"Yet this restaurant still continues business as usual amongst the worst cost of living crisis many will ever experience.

"We don't need another documentary series showing us that we are losing some 150 species going extinct globally every single day.

"What we need is action. Sir David is in a unique position to tell the truth about the biodiversity crisis."

Mrs Smart is due to appear at Weymouth Magistrates' Court on 21 December.