THE chair of York Green Party - who is campaigning to become a councillor in Acomb - has been arrested.

Tom Franklin, 60, was arrested while taking part in a climate change protest in London.

He was arrested for a public order offence on Wednesday and held overnight at Leyton police station before being released this morning, Thursday, without charge.

A spokesman for the Green Party said Mr Franklin was taking part in a peaceful demonstration in Parliament Square at the time of his arrest.

Nineteen-year-old Patrick Thelwall, Green Party candidate for Hull Road ward, was also arrested while taking part in a protest.

A spokesman said Mr Thelwall was "peacefully blocking Waterloo Bridge" on Monday evening when he was taken into custody.

Mr Thelwall said: “I am privileged in the UK with a police and legal system that will treat me non-violently and fairly. Others, in countries more urgently affected by the climate crisis, do not have the luxury of safe protest.

"I, therefore, have a responsibility to act in every capacity I can to force our government to protect our people and our planet, even if that means getting arrested.”

The campaigners were taking part in a protest organised by Extinction Rebellion - an group that uses non violent action to raise awareness of climate change.