CLIMATE activists superglued the door locks at almost 50 branches of Barclays today in protest at the bank’s financial involvement in fossil fuel industries.

The co-ordinated night-time action was mounted by activists from Money Rebellion in the early hours of this morning.

Money Rebellion, a sister organisation of the Extinction Rebellion climate action group, accused Barclays of “continued climate-wrecking criminal damage which endangers the future of all life on the planet.”

The campaigners also highlighted that Barclays is the largest fossil fuel funder in Europe.

Since the 2016 Paris Climate Agreement, Barclays has supported fossil fuels with $190.58 billion (£165bn) of investments, the campaign group said.

It argued that new fossil fuels are incompatible with the Paris Agreement goal of keeping global temperature rises 1.5°C below pre-industrial levels.

Among the 50 Barclays branches superglued overnight include Kilmarnock Road in Glasgow, Albion Street in Leeds, the High Street in Lincoln and London’s Tottenham Court Road.

An activist who took part in the operation said: “Barclays is pumping billions into the fossil fuel industry, completely at odds with advice from the International Energy Agency, United Nations and the Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change.

“Barclays is choosing short-term profits over a liveable future and a lot of us are sick of the measly progress they’re making, as they hide behind their lies and green washing.”

The group urged Barclays customers to use their power by moving their account to a bank more aligned with a sustainable future for the planet through websites like Switchit.green.

A Barclays spokesperson said: “We have set 2030 targets to reduce the emissions we finance in five high emitting sectors, including the Energy sector, where we have achieved a 32% reduction since 2020”.

They added: “We have provided £99bn of green finance since 2018, and have a target to facilitate $1trn in Sustainable and Transition financing between 2023 and 2030.”