Two Llanidloes environmental protesters have been conditionally discharged after they were convicted of aggravated trespassing while protesting at Barclays bank in Cardiff.

Marita Over, 56, and Sammy Pilpel, 19, who are both members of the Llanidloes Extinction Rebellion group, were part of a protest outside the Working Road branch of Barclays to raise public awareness about the bank’s investments in tar sands and fracking.

They were both arrested and charged with aggravated trespassing and were given conditional discharges for 12 months after pleading guilty, although they will have to pay costs of £105 each.

Despite the sentence, there was backing for Over and Pilpel’s cause at the court, with a district judge saying that everyone needed to take climate change issues seriously.

Over and Pilpel were part of a protest at the bank branch, which saw Pilpel holding a globe while Over, dressed as a Barclays employee, smeared what looked like tar on it to show the damage that fossil fuel extraction is causing.

After the court case, Over said the protest had been designed to raise awareness and hoped that it would lead to people choosing not to bank with Barclays.

She said: “If this makes even one person decide to move their money from Barclays, it will have been worth it.”