Just Stop Oil supporters have painted the US embassy building in London orange, as Donald Trump claimed victory in the presidential election.

A wall outside the building in Nine Elms was seen partially covered with orange paint after the stunt at around 9.20am on Wednesday.

Just Stop Oil released pictures of two men being spoken to by police officers.

The Metropolitan Police said two men, aged 25 and 72, were arrested on suspicion of criminal damage and held in custody.

Deputy Assistant Commissioner Andy Valentine said: “Officers from the Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection Unit arrested these two men within minutes, ensuring that they could not cause any further damage to the embassy.

“This activity is vandalism purporting as protest and we will continue to have a zero tolerance attitude to actions such as this.”

The environmental activists say they are demanding governments work together to “end the extraction and burning of oil, gas and coal by 2030”.

A spokesman said: “The only real winner of today’s election is the corporate power that controls the major parties in both the US and UK.

“Regardless of who sits in the White House, corporations and billionaires will ensure that the interests of the fossil fuel industry will continue to be prioritised over the wellbeing of ordinary people.

“It is only through people coming together to disrupt ‘business as usual’ that humanity will stand any chance of minimising the effects of climate breakdown, and the resulting social collapse that is already under way.”

They added: “As long as democracy is hijacked by corporate interests and billionaires, it will fail to deliver the change ordinary people are crying out for.

“This will always leave the door open for fake populists like Trump to exploit the disaffection many feel.

“Ordinary people have to step up, get organised and make change happen, because it should be clear by now – no political leaders are coming to save us.”

It came after Mr Trump declared he had won a “magnificent victory for the American people”.