ART activists created 25 dramatic “self portraits” on Saturday by having oil poured over themselves at London’s National Portrait Gallery as part of a protest against energy giant BP.

The Art Not Oil coalition called on the publicly owned gallery to end BP sponsorship of the annual Portrait Award because of its responsibility for climate degradation.

Anna Johnson, one of the 25 oily activists, said: “It’s time for public arts institutions to stop being publicity agents for Big Oil.