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Climate activist Greta Thunberg refused an upgrade to first class during her train journey from London to Bristol this morning.

The teenager was travelling to the city to lead the school strike rally on College Green.

An estimated 20,000 people joined her in a march through the city as part of the strike organised by The Bristol Youth Strike 4 Climate.

She arrived at Bristol Temple Meads shortly after 10am.

A GWR spokesman told Bristol Live: “It was an off-peak train so there were seats available in first class. However, she very politely and gracefully refused the offer and stayed in standard class.

“The staff who dealt with her said that she was with her mum and they were both lovely to serve. Very quiet and unassuming.”

You can read Greta's speech to Bristol students in full here.

Bristol Live understands that Greta, who travelled back to London on the 2.20pm train out of Temple Meads, also insisted that police ferried her to College Green in an electric car.

The GWR spokesman added: “Greta’s train journey offset a significant amount of carbon. Her journey used 9.37kg. If she’d travelled to Bristol by car, she would have used 23.28kg.”

After her departure and the winding down of the event, Avon and Somerset Police superintendent Andy Bennett praised the organisers.

He said: “We did only have a week to prepare for this event, which was not a lot of time, but we are used to spontaneously having to plan for events.

“This was a big event and it scaled up very quickly.

“The organisers responded to our feedback very well and we worked really well together over the last 48 hours to pull off a very safe event.”