Police have dismissed a councillor’s claims that officers were “tooled up for trouble” while policing a youth climate change protest in Aberystwyth.

Cllr Paul Hinge said on social media that the police presence during the Youth Strike for Climate protest was “provocative” and compared it to levels he saw while serving in Northern Ireland.

Police said his views were “not reflective” of the situation, and the officers have received “positive appreciation” for making the event safe.

In his social media post, Cllr Hinge said: “I was walking back to my car and saw the school children protesting about climate change, and then to my horror saw the amount of police presence in and around the station and in my opinion ‘tooled up’ for trouble.

“If that’s not provocative I don’t know what is.

“Apart from the shields, rifles and baton-round guns, it was like the security presence in Northern Ireland in the 1970s.

“They are school children for pity’s sake, [who are] worried about the world they live in.”

Cllr Hinge told the Cambrian News that he saw “police there in full gear - no visible shields or helmets but everything else”.

“I saw at least one riot van, and the issue for me was the numbers of police given these were school children."

Police said that officers were present during the strike on 21 June to “ensure the safety of young people”.

“Officers were also tasked with ensuring that those not involved in the protest were able to conduct their activities without undue disruption,” a police spokesperson told the Cambrian News.

“Police officers wore standard uniform."

See this week’s south papers for the full story, available in shops and as a digital edition on Wednesday