by Jenni Horn

Two Greenpeace activists - including one from Kent - who climbed the smoke stack at Kingsnorth Power Station are scaling chimneys once again.

Ben Stewart, from Lyminge, near Folkestone and Emily Hall, from London, are among a group of more than 100 Greenpeace protesters who have broken into four coal plants in Italy.

The demo has been staged to coincide with the G8 Summit and the protesters are demanding the G8 heads of state take leadership on climate change.

In the early hours of Wednesday morning, the activists, from 18 countries, occupied coal conveyors and climbed smoke stacks and cranes on four power stations in Brindisi, Marghera, Vado Ligure and Porto Tolle.

Mr Stewart is one of 15 activists at the top of the 160m high chimney at the Marghera plant. They have hung a banner on the chimney saying 'G8: take climate leadership' and another saying 'energy revolution = green jobs'.

He said: "Politicians talk but leaders act, there is no more time to waste. The G8 leaders must stop putting the interests of big coal and other climate polluting industries ahead of the planet and take strong, decisive leadership on climate change."

Mr Stewart and Miss Hall were among the six activists who scaled the Kingsnorth chimney in 2007 and wrote the Prime Minister's name down the side.

All six were acquitted of criminal damage at Maidstone Crown Court last year.