A petition demanding Kent County Council (KCC) declare a climate emergency has already got more than 1,000 signatures.

Rachael Webster, from Maidstone, has launched the campaign, using change.org to gain support.

On the page, she quoted the council, saying: "Kent's geographical location, long coastline and population density means it is likely to suffer from some of the severest impacts of climate change in the United Kingdom."

She added: "David Attenborough told the UN Climate Summit last year what scientists have been warning us for years - 'The collapse of our civilisations and the extinction of much of the natural world is on the horizon.'

"The UK will not be immune to this. Kent will not be immune to this."

KCC’s current target is to reduce carbon emissions by 60% by 2030.

But Ms Wesbter is pushing for this target to be changed to 0%.

It comes just three weeks after school children urged Canterbury City Council to declare a climate emergency.

So far, Maidstone Borough Council is the only local authority in Kent which has stepped up to the mark, doing so last month.

Climate change is already having a significant impact on the county.

Sea levels around the South East coastline have continually risen since the mid 20th century by about 1mm per year, a rate which has increased in the 1990s and 2000s.

Over the last 45 years, the region also has experienced more heavy downpours during winter, while summer rainfall has decreased.

A KCC spokesman said: "We have our own petition website and if someone wants to get a debate going they should use this page."

A petition on the KCC website needs 12,000 signatures for any county-wide issues to be debated by the council.

To sign Ms Wesbter's petition click here.

Or to start your own petition through the KCC website click here.

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