City protesters arrested at mass Trident missiles demo

PEACE protesters have been arrested after blockading a nuclear weapons site where warheads for Trident submarines are made.

At least six campaigners from Edinburgh were among almost 1,000 activists from around the world who gathered at the Atomic Weapons Establishment in Aldermaston, Berkshire.

It has been described as the biggest such demonstration "for many years".

Demonstrators, including those from the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND), arrived at 7am, and blocked the seven gates at the site either by sitting down in front of them, or locking themselves together. They want to stop the Trident missile system being replaced.

Janet Fenton, co-ordinator of the Peace and Justice Resource Centre in Princes Street, was among those arrested.

Speaking from a police van, she said: "We thought it was important we show the strength of feeling. About 40 of us came down from Scotland and succeeded in closing the gates. We even managed to get inside, and were dancing and singing inside the base."

A total of 24 people were arrested, including Gillan Lawrence and Ray Bradford, who are also from Edinburgh.

Two Nobel Peace Prize winners – Jody Williams, who campaigned to ban land mines, and Mairead Maguire, who led a campaign to end violence in Northern Ireland – were among those taking part.