A CLIMATE change activist who embarked on a hunger strike outside a council building has said the planet is facing “a race against time” to prevent catastrophe.

Steve Kelly, who is a member of the Green Party, fasted for a total of 42 hours from Monday to Wednesday outside the Town Hall in Station Road and at home.

The action taken by Mr Kelly was part of a global initiative designed to get governments and leading political figures to take notice of the climate crisis.

During his protest outside the Tendring Council building, Mr Kelly raised his concerns with incoming and outgoing councillors, who he feels aren’t doing enough.

He managed to refrain from eating until the early hours of Wednesday morning and has since been slowly reintroducing himself to food.

Mr Kelly said: “I am not a martyr, but it felt the right thing to do and I felt so frustrated with the channels which I had used until now to get the message across.

“There has been concerns over Extinction Rebellion disrupting peoples’ lives, so this was an opportunity to bring discomfort to myself.”