One of the world's leading climate scientists has given evidence in defence of six Greenpeace activists, charged with causing criminal damage to a Kent power station.

James Hansen, director of NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies, appeared at Maidstone Crown Court on Wednesday.

He told the court that Kingsnorth Power Station in Hoo could be responsible for causing the loss of several hundred species of animals and plants due to climate change over its lifetime.

He added: "By cutting off the emissions at Kingsnorth for two days, you could say that one species is saved."

Prof Hansen called for a halt to the building of new coal fired power stations unless they have the facility for carbon capture - and said existing ones should be fazed out over the next 20 years.

He added that continuing with a "business as usual" approach would see the planet passing its climate change tipping point, putting it on a disastrous future course.

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