Councils are being urged not to punish pupils for leaving school to take part in climate change strikes - as long as they have permission from their parents.

Scottish Green MSPs Alison Johnstone and Andy Wightman said councils across the Lothians should support pupils who wanted to take part in the next day of action on 15th March.

The move comes after Edinburgh Council's education committee agreed pupils could take part in the strikes, as long as they had permission from parents.

Read more: Edinburgh pupils 'will not be punished' for climate change strikes

They have now written to education bosses at Midlothian, West Lothian and East Lothian councils, urging them to follow this example.

An estimated 15,000 people took part in a wave of climate strikes across the UK in February, inspired by 16-year-old Swedish environmental activist Greta Thunberg.

Alison Johnstone, Green spokeswoman for children, said: "The climate crisis - and how we all respond to it - will now unavoidably define the lives of young people at school in Scotland today.

Read more: Pupil climate strikes come to Scotland

"Many are, completely rationally, fearful for their futures and those of young people around the world.

"It's clear why they feel compelled to speak out and urge stronger action from governments and corporations who have not just failed to tackle this crisis, but who have caused it."