The rig is due to be sent to the Shearwater gas field in the North Sea when it comes on contract to Shell later this month. A spokeswoman for the protest group said they had taken necessary safety precautions for the "peaceful occupation". The activists are urging governments to "tell the truth" about the climate impact of the fossil fuel industry and to decommission oil and gas infrastructure.

Jo, 34, a gardener from Edinburgh, said she had scaled the rig "for my niece Ivy, who is an incredible little human". She added: "I don't want to say to her that I didn't take a stand when I had the choice and left it to other people to sort it out."

A spokesman for Forth Ports, which owns the Port of Dundee, said it had "deployed one of our pilot boats at the scene and this will remain in attendance as a safety precaution should anyone require assistance". Shell said it was "aware of the protest action", adding: "The safety of those involved - both protesters and workers - is our prime concern".

Copyright Agence France-Presse, 2020