Police officers in Perth are hunting for four environmental activists after a Perth bank was shut down earlier this week.
Barclays on High Street was sealed off on Monday, March 2 after eco warriors claiming to be from Greenpeace disabled the front doors and printed ‘Barclays: stop funding the climate emergency’ on the pavement outside.
A total of six Scottish branches were targeted on Monday, on the same day Greenpeace called on the bank to stop funding fossil fuels such as coal, oil and gas, and instead channel their investments into renewable energy.
Greenpeace also claimed Barclays was the biggest funder of fossil fuels of all European banks.
However, Police Scotland has since said these are “criminal acts of vandalism” and say four people were seen to be responsible.
Officers have now issued a public appeal for more information to help them track down the activists.
A spokesperson for Police Scotland’s Tayside division said: “As you may have seen in the news, a number of branches of Barclays Bank across the UK were targeted on Monday, March 2 by people claiming to be environmental activists.
“Seven of these were in Scotland, and two were in Tayside.
“The Barclays branches in Dundee and Perth were both targeted and subjected to acts of vandalism.
“In Perth, between about 6am and 6.10am, the lock of the door to the Barclays Bank branch in High Street was deliberately damaged, preventing the premises from being unlocked and opened for business.
“Four individuals, all described as around 6ft in height and wearing orange high-visibility jackets, were seen to be responsible.
“Whatever the claimed cause of those responsible, these are criminal acts of vandalism which have prevented members of the public from accessing their bank services and going about their daily personal business.”
Officers are now appealing for members of the public who have more information to come forward and help them with their enquiries.
The spokesperson added: “If you have any information that could assist our enquiries, please call 101 or speak with any police officer.
“Also, information can be given anonymously through Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
“Our reference is 0622 of March 2.”
