The ‘Caversham Village’ sign has been modernised with a ‘Banksy-Style’ update.

Instigated by climate activists ‘Extinction Rebellion-Reading’, an SUV-style car shooting fumes from its exhausts has been added on to the idyllic original.

The sign, on Gosbrook Road in Caversham, was initially designed as a picturesque vista, complete with fishermen and a horse-drawn cart, but the carved and painted vehicle appeared sometime last week.

The climate activist group said they wanted to ‘highlight dangerous traffic induced air quality in the area, some of the worst in Berkshire’.

Air pollution results in 40,000 premature deaths each year in this country.

Car use, especially large vehicles such as SUVs, contributes significantly to the climate crisis. 

Appearing on Extinction Rebellion Reading’s Facebook page on Tuesday, 21 December, the post read:

“A Banksy inspired SUV, complete with sooty fumes, now adorns Caversham’s rural village sign, bringing it rudely up to date and highlighting some of the worst air pollution in Reading. #actnow.”

Extinction Rebellion have been in the news over the last two years for their methods,of raising awareness, including blocking London Bridge.

Their vision is "Creating a world that is fit for generations to come."