A DEMONSTRATION by striking school pupils on Friday has been moved to Bonn Square because of an increase in numbers.

Around 700 people have expressed an interest or said they would attend Oxford's event on Facebook, with one headteacher set to take a delegation of as many as 40 primary school pupils along.

Oxford West and Abingdon MP Layla Moran will attend the demonstration, which will run from 11am - 2pm amd was previously being held in Carfax.

University, sixth form, secondary and primary students are expected to attend, some as young as four.

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Explaining the decision to move the event, Oxford Youth Climate Action said: "(The) location has moved to Bonn Square.

"This is because there are much more people coming than expected."

It is difficult to gauge numbers but at least eight Oxfordshire schools are confirmed to have students planning to attend - with numerous others likely to be involved.

They are Cheney, Cherwell and Matthew Arnold school; Oxford Spires Academy, Windmill, Larkrise and St Mary St John primaries, and St. Peter’s CE School in Cassington.

One parent, Anna Ratcliffe, who is taking her four-year-old out of Larkrise, said she had also heard that pupils from St Ebbes Primary, Tyndale Primary and West Oxford Primary would be involved. Activists are also expecting pupils from Abingdon's Europa School.

Jaime Johnson, a parent of two striking children at St. Peter’s , is taking her three month old baby.

Oxford University students are expected to be involved but Oxford Brookes said it was not expecting any students to walk out.

The nationwide protest, which has been praised but not fully backed by the National Association of Head Teachers, draws inspiration from a Swedish 16-year-old called Greta Thunberg who goes on strike from school and demonstrates outside parliament.

A global protest, also likely to see significant numbers of Oxford students walk out of lessons, is planned for March 15.