A local man has urged Bath and North East Somerset Council to go vegan — at least at the council's own events.

Matt Cooper, who stood as a Green candidate for Peasedown in the local elections in May, was addressing a full council meeting on September 21 as a member of the public. He said: "This council has the opportunity and I think the duty to simply prioritise plant-based food options wherever they can, treating the climate emergency with the urgency it requires."

Mr Cooper added: "Even if this only applied to refreshments at a very small number of events per year, it is a very small step which sends a powerful message and helps to normalise plant based eating."

12 other councils in the UK have already passed motions committing to going plant-based, either fully or partially, he said. No vote on such a policy has yet been proposed in Bath, but Mr Cooper urged the councillors to consider it.

He said: "The science is clear that meat and dairy are major contributors to the climate and ecological emergencies and it has been said that switching to a plant based diet is the single most effective thing an individual can do to reduce their impact on the planet."

Mr Cooper added: "The South West has a large farming community. Genuinely supporting farmers means looking honestly at the future and recognising where change is necessary. Simply continuing with the status quo is unnecessary."

He said that the national food strategy and committee on climate change both stated that a substantial reduction in meat and dairy was needed in order to meet the UK's Paris Agreement obligations.

Council leader Kevin Guy invited Mr Cooper to discuss the issue with him.