EXTINCTION Rebellion members and cyclists are planning to take over a lane of the A40 on Sunday to highlight the climate emergency and safety concerns.

The climate activists, along with local cyclists, will takeover a lane of the A40 on Sunday.

The action is part of nationwide protests by Extinction Rebellion members.

The cyclists will ride from Shire Hall, Gloucester, at 11.30am, to Pittville Park, Cheltenham via the A40 dual carriageway.

Gloucestershire Extinction Rebellion groups are among a number of organisations calling on local governments to protect and support citizens who travel by clean, sustainable and healthy methods.

The 'Ride for Life' will commemorate the 140 cyclists who are injured or killed every year on Gloucestershire’s roads.

Norm Kemp, Cheltenham Extinction Rebellion member, said: “Gloucestershire’s cities and towns have the potential to be great places for everyone to get around by bike.

"Cycling is a healthy, speedy and cheap solution for short journeys, as well as reducing local pollution and global greenhouse emissions. But heavy traffic makes it a daunting prospect for new cyclists, so we get a vicious cycle of people choosing to drive because there’s so many cars.

“We are demanding that Gloucestershire County Council work together with local communities and citizens to help fix this crazy situation for the benefit of all.

“Taking over the A40 dual carriageway and the route through Cheltenham will highlight that there are alternative ways to get around the county and the town without damaging the health of our neighbours and the planet. The slow cycle through Cheltenham is for everyone and anyone – even if you don’t have a bike.

“On Sunday we’ll show that when enough people choose to cycle instead of driving it stops being scary and becomes loads of fun. We’ll press home our message that by helping people to cycle the county and district councils will boost local health and happiness, reduce local pollution, and help the planet too.”

And in Bristol, Clifton Suspension Bridge has been closed by police due to planned protests by Extinction Rebellion.

Two youth activists locked themselves together on the bridge on Thursday.

They were arrested in Bristol at 11pm on suspicion of wilful obstruction of the highway and conspiracy to cause a public nuisance.

Due to further planned protests the bridge has been closed for "public safety", the police say, and could potentially remain shut until Tuesday.

In further protests, members of Extinction Rebellion stuck warning labels to petrol pumps in Stroud last night as part of a national campaign, calling for greater transparency about the damage to health caused by fossil fuels.

Extinction Rebellion believe petrol pumps should have a health warning similar to that on cigarette packets because of the danger to health posed by air pollution from fossil fuels.

And yesterday Stroud Extinction Rebellion put up a banner thanking the people of Stroud for their response to the Covid emergency and asking them to think now about the climate emergency.

The banner has been displayed on the Merrywalks bridge, see photo.