Activists have sprayed orange paint on buildings in central London, demanding that the Government halts all new oil and gas licences and consents.

Just Stop Oil said its supporters sprayed paint from fire extinguishers on the Home Office, the MI5 building, the Bank of England and the headquarters of News Corp at London Bridge on Monday morning.

The group said the buildings were chosen to represent the pillars that support and maintain the power of the fossil fuel economy.

Scotland Yard said protesters threw paint in a number of locations, naming Marsham Street, Millbank, London Bridge and Threadneedle Street.

“Officers responded quickly to all incidents and a number of people have now been arrested on suspicion of criminal damage,” the force tweeted.

Giving more detail later, the Met said Thames House in Millbank was sprayed with paint at about 8.20am and officers made one arrest for criminal damage at 8:45am.

At about 8:29am, the News UK building in London Bridge Street was sprayed with paint and officers made an arrest for criminal damage at 8:46am.

At about 8:39am, two people sprayed the Home Office in Marsham Street with paint and were arrested on suspicion of criminal damage a couple of minutes later.

Police said all those arrested have been taken into custody at a central London police station.

Elsewhere, City of London Police said two people were arrested outside the Bank of England.

A Just Stop Oil spokesperson said: “We are not prepared to stand by and watch while everything we love is destroyed, while vulnerable people go hungry and fossil fuel companies and the rich profit from our misery.

“The era of fossil fuels should be long gone, but the creeping tentacles of fossil fuel interests continue to corrupt our politics, government and the media, as they have for decades.

“How else do you explain a Government ignoring sensible no-brainer policies like renewables, insulation and public transport, which would cut our energy bills and our carbon emissions, in favour of corrupt schemes to drill for uneconomic oil and gas at taxpayers expense?

“Well we’re done with begging. We are acting to stop new oil and gas because it is the right thing to do.

“As citizens, as parents we have every right under British law to protect ourselves and those we love.”