Two banking brands have been targeted across Herts by global environmental movement Extinction Rebellion (XR).

On Friday (January 29), HSBC and Barclays in St Albans and Hatfield, as well as their branches in Hemel Hempstead, Radlett, Potters Bar and Berkhamsted, were defaced with stickers by the St Albans denomination of the organisation, highlighting their financing of the current climate crisis.

A total of 17 branches were targeted across the seven Hertfordshire towns as part of an escalation of XR's protest, which originally saw three town's branches defaced back in November on the bases that "both banks continue to pump billions of pounds into new and damaging fossil fuel projects every year."

A spokesperson for Extinction Rebellion St Albans said: “Barclays and HSBC are directly contributing to a worsening climate emergency. If you bank with either, they use your money to support exploration for more oil, more gas, and more coal.

"Put simply, banking with HSBC or Barclays means more flooding, more wildfires, more droughts, and more deadly heatwaves.

“Barclays also finances fossil fuel extraction from tar sands. This is widely regarded as the worst, most polluting source of fossil fuels.”

The stickers bore messages including Barclays: Funding the climate crisis, HSBC: Funding the climate crisis, and This bank funds fossil fuels.

'The stickering' was undertaken in full compliance with the coronavirus regulations, with individuals applying the stickers during their daily exercise.

XR are calling on the banks’ customers to move their accounts, and recommend checking options at switchit.money.

Both Barclays and HSBC have been contacted for comment.