The heiress Aileen Getty has donated nearly £500,000 to Extinction Rebellion, claiming “disruption” is necessary for climate action progress.

Ms Getty, 62, is the granddaughter of the oil tycoon J Paul Getty, who became the world’s richest man in 1965.

She said the donation “is not necessarily restitution” for the fortune her family made from oil.

“Whether the resources I have come from oil or not, I feel an urgency and it’s a privilege to give whatever resources you have,” she added.

Ms Getty has pledged $600,000 (£487,000) to the Climate Emergency Fund (CEF) which is funding Extinction Rebellion and other grass roots climate groups.