POLITICAL activists are to stage a demonstration outside a Bury bank in protest over the financier's investment in fossil fuels.

Members of the Bury branch of the left wing Momentum organisation will stage the direct action outside Barclays Bank at The Rock on May 25.

The action will coincide with similar protests carried out in towns and cities around the UK by other Momentum groups.

A Momentum spokesperson said: “Climate change is already devastating communities around the world, and fossil fuel companies and their financiers are to blame. A decade ago the banks crashed the economy - now they’re crashing the planet.”

The group says it has been inspired by the recent youth climate strikers, and organisational techniques used by the US politician Bernie Sander's unsuccessful 2016 campaign for the Democratic nomination.

Its action comes after a report published by the international NGO network BankTrack which revealed Barclays was the worst bank in Europe for financing fossil fuel projects.

Momentum is also hoping to replicate the success of action by campaign group People & Planet and others which led to Barclays pledging to withdraw its financing of fracking firm Third Energy ­— licensed to frack in North Yorkshire.

The Momentum spokesman added: “It’s time we faced the banks that fund climate breakdown head on.

"Inspired by the young people participating in the youth climate strikes around the world, we’ll be organising Labour members to take action against Barclays, who have funded fossil fuel companies to the tune of $85bn since the Paris Agreement was signed at the end of 2015.

“Only the banks have the cash to finance big fossil fuel infrastructure projects. If we break the chain of fossil fuel finance, we can make the functioning of the fossil fuel industry impossible.

"Campaigners have beaten Barclays before. Now is the moment to do it again.”

A Barclays spokesman said: “We recognise that climate change is one of the greatest challenges facing the world today, and are determined to do all we can to support the transition to a low carbon economy, while also ensuring that global energy needs continue to be met.

“The Barclays Energy and Climate Change Statement, published in January 2019, clearly sets out our approach to carbon intensive energy sectors and reflects our commitments as a transatlantic bank.

“We continue to develop our green products suite and in 2018 we facilitated £27.3 billion in social and environmental financing across our business including green bonds and renewable financing.”