Lynn Green and David Kerrigan broke off from the Baptist Assembly to hold a placard with the hastag #bringbackourgirls.

More than 270 Nigerian girls were kidnapped from school on April 14, 2014 by Boko Harem, and though some of the girls escaped, Nigerian police say 223 remain missing.

The twitter hashtag has been retweeted more than a million times to draw attention to the girls.

David said, ‘The plight of the kidnapped Nigerian girls is all the more tragic because these kinds of episodes happen too often beyond the glare of the world’s media.

‘The fact this story has come to the world’s attention will hopefully result in their release, but also raising of the profile of the wider problem of gender-based violence.

‘Education for girls is a human right and essential for the well being of nations. It’s also a pathway to allow them the life God wants them to have.’

Boko Harem means "Western education is forbidden". The group said the girls should not have been at school, and should get married instead.