Three Extinction Rebellion protesters who glued themselves to a Dockland Light Railway train in London for two hours have claimed that they took action after peaceful protests were ignored.

The trio stopped a DLR train at Canary Wharf station on April 17, infuriating queues of passengers.

Luke Watson, 29, and Cathy Eastburn, 51, used a step ladder to climb on the train to display a banner emblazoned 'Climate Emergency' before gluing themselves to the carriage, the jury heard.

Meanwhile Mark Ovland, 36, glued his hand to the side of the train along with a note which said: 'Superglued - do not pull. For Earth', Inner London Crown Court was told.

The group held the train for almost two hours before Ovland was released and carried away while Watson and Eastburn were lifted from the roof.

Extinction rebellion members Mark Ovland, 35, left, Luke Watson, 29, and Cathy Eastburn, 51, outside Inner London Crown Court today

Luke Watson, 29, and Cathy Eastburn, 51, used a step ladder to climb on a DLR train at Canary Wharf to display a banner emblazoned 'Climate Emergency'

The three appeared together in the dock where they chose to represent themselves.

They all accepted committing the acts but denied one charge each of obstructing a train.

Eastburn and Ovland told Inner London Crown Court it wasn't a protest but an alarm call to save the planet.

Mother-of-two Eastburn added that she was not trying to persuade people of the group's view but saw it as her duty as a mother to act.

Taking to the stand first, Watson, of Manuden, Essex, told the jury: 'I did that because I believed that doing so was the best and the only way to bring about appropriate action from the government to prevent the worst of the disasters we expect from climate change.'

His co-defendant, Eastburn, gave an emotionally charged speech to the court, telling the jury she stopped the train to save her children.

The mother-of-two, from Clapham, south London, said: 'I do want to say that for about the last 30 years or so I have done everything I can, I've been aware of climate change for a long time and have pursued more conventional means or what you might call protest to get government to change policies by signing petitions.

'I've been on marches and supported organisations like Greenpeace and 38 degrees all with the hope we would sort things out and my children, who are teenagers, will have a future - a decent and livable future.

'I did this about desperate concern about my children and all children everywhere and out of desperate concern from what's happening around the world.

Meanwhile Mark Ovland, 36, glued his hand to the side of the train along with a note which said: 'Superglued - do not pull. For Earth'

Eastburn and Ovland (pictured) told Inner London Crown Court it wasn't a protest but an alarm call to save the planet

'Like a person in a burning building would sound the alarm and bash on doors and maybe even break something to get people to leave the building and save them - it felt very much like that to me.

'This is sounding the alarm for something that's happening - trying to save people. Save my children, save other people's children, nephews and nieces, young people.

'It was not trying to persuade people of a point of view. It felt like my duty as a mother and I don't think I should be being prosecuted for that.

'I don't think what I did was a crime - I was just trying to save my children.'

Finally, Ovland, of Keinton Mandeville, Somerset, explained: 'I took action on that day because I know that for the 30 plus years people have known about this people have been trying through the usual institution channels to affect change.

'They have been voting for green policies, singing petitions, and going on marches but emission continue to rise.

'We needed to do something that was unignorable and to do it as safely as possible.

'It wasn't a protest, if your house is on fire, if a building is on fire you don't protest. You raise the alarm.'

Prosecuting, Matthew Farmer told the court: 'This case is about these three defendants who were protesting about the climate emergency you have heard perhaps of an organisation called Extinction Rebellion.

'They were protesting about that and I'm sure all of us feel very strongly about the planet but this is a simple case members of the jury.

The three appeared together in the dock where they chose to represent themselves. They all accepted committing the acts but denied one charge each of obstructing a train

Extinction Rebellion supporters display a banner outside Inner London Crown Court during the trial

'It involved, in count one, Mark Watson and Cathy Eastburn. The charges set out there by an unlawful act and you will hear from me that that was climbing on top of a train.

'They were doing as part of their protest about the threat to the planet. They climbed on top of the train and glued their hands to it therefore obstructing the railway.

'Count two concerns the third defendant Mr Ovland who, on the same day, was doing the same thing - obstructing an engine or carriage.

'But his unlawful act was different. He didn't climb on top of the train he glued his hand to the side of the train.'

Mr Farmer continued: 'It was late rush hour when the police received a call from staff at Canary Wharf DLR station of persons who had climbed on top of the southbound train.

'The police arrived and saw them on top of the train holding a banner that said 'Climate Emergency'.

Ovland, of Keinton Mandeville, Somerset, explained: 'I took action on that day because I know that for the 30 plus years people have known about this people have been trying through the usual institution channels to affect change'

'Mr Ovland was on the platform with his hand glued to the side of the train and there was a piece of card between his hands.

'It said ''Superglued do not pull me! For earth'!' and then there was a love heart motif so there is an obvious reason why they are doing it and perhaps one we all have sympathy with but it is a criminal offence.

'Mr Ovland was asked to remove his superglued hand but he refused to remove his hand and come away and in fact he could not because it was glued.

'He was arrested and removed by what's called the protester removal team.

'Later at 11:34am the other two were on top of the train and a PC Ford request they come down from the train and appealed to them all the good reasons why that should happen, safety etc but they refused to come down saying something like 'I can't I'm glued'.

'So officers from the heights policing team went up on the roof and, you will hear, they basically put them in a harness and got them down off that train.

'They were being passive, they were not assisting in their removal. It was a very peaceful protest

'PC Ford was handed a tube of superglue and a step ladder which was used to get up there. They were then taken to the police station where they were interviewed but they didn't say anything.'

But Luke Watson, claimed that disruption was 'minimal' after the 'carefully planned' protest.

Addressing the jury, he said: 'There was scientific consensus in 1989.

'All the conventional methods have failed. The reason we chose to obstruct a railway rather than going on a march because that has happened for the last 30 years.

'In that last 30 years we have emitted as many emissions as each year as the year before.

'We have no second shot at this and people don't know what to do really. Shortly afterwards the government declared a climate emergency.

'It was high drama with minimal disruption. We wanted to get as much awareness of the cause. That train station was the best place to get the most awareness with the least amount of disruption.

'The company that runs the DLR - the only costs they incurred were fines incurred from Transport For London and Transport For London decided to waive all of those fines so they suffered no cost from the action.'

All three deny the charges.

The trial continues.