A petition calling on Hertfordshire County Council to 'divest' its pension fund from companies "complicit in war crimes, apartheid and occupation" has been backed by more than 1500 signatures.

In particular, the petition calls for the council to 'divest' the Hertfordshire Local Government Pension Scheme (HLGPS) from "companies complicit in Israel's well-documented human rights abuses against Palestinians".

And it calls on the county council to "refrain from any such investments in future through implementation and review of its Responsible Investment Policy".

The petition was launched on the council's website on January 27. And when it closed on May 14, it had been backed by 1525 people, who must either live or work in the county.

Now as part of the council's petition scheme – having gained in excess of 1000 signatures – the petition can be presented to and debated by a meeting of the full county council.

No date for the presentation of the petition to the council has yet been set.

The county council has issued a statement to the Local Democracy Reporting Service in response to an enquiry about the petition.

It states: "The overriding duty of the Hertfordshire Local Government Pension Fund is to pay the pensions of retired employees, and the cross-party Pensions Committee has a fiduciary duty to invest responsibly and in the best interest of pension scheme members.

"We insist that our investment managers invest ethically, and investments will continue to be made in line with our financial responsibilities.

"While campaigners will have strong views, the beneficiaries of the pension scheme themselves may also hold a different view as to where their retirement savings are invested.

"The Pension Committee will maintain a responsible investment policy that focuses on the long-term, ensuring the fund can continue to pay the pensions of its members."