A COUNCILLOR has criticised a climate change protest held by children and hit out at parents for allowing their children to take part.

Thousands of children all over the country took part in the protests last month calling on those in power to do more to tackle climate change.

Among them were children across Cornwall who walked out of lessons to take part in the action. Some of them went to Cornwall Council’s main offices in Truro, carrying placards and banners and chanting slogans.

Further protests are being planned for next week in a movement which has spread across the world.

But one Cornwall councillor has hit out at the events and also criticised Cornwall Council for “welcoming” the youngsters to County Hall.

John Fitter was speaking at a meeting of the neighbourhoods overview and scrutiny committee this week where the issue had been raised by Sue James, Cabinet member for the environment.

Cllr Fitter said: “I don’t believe that children should be protesting during a school day. The fact that some parents think it is fine, I think it is totally inappropriate.

“If they had protested on a Saturday then I would respect it more.”

The Conservative councillor said to Cllr James: “You said about welcoming this group to County Hall. The last thing we should be doing is welcoming striking children to County Hall.”

Cllr James said: “We didn’t welcome them, they were coming here anyway and when they did come we did welcome them.”

The Cabinet member said that the council had been in contact with schools about the protest and said that schools had been working to ensure that parents had given permission for their children to take part and to ensure that all children were safe.

Cllr James added: “We are not encouraging it. But not to have gone and talked to them when they were out there could have caused more problems.”

In January Cornwall Council declared a climate emergency and pledged to reduce carbon emissions and encourage business, organisations and residents to do more to tackle climate change.

Cllr James said that it was important to listen to the children protesting as they are the future.

At the end of the committee meeting councillors were invited by Cllr James to watch a video of a speech made by teenager Greta Thunberg who started the first climate strike in Sweden last year.

The next School Strike 4 Climate is set to take place worldwide on March 15.