Two held in nuclear base protest

Two protesters were arrested today after blocking an entrance to a Ministry of Defence nuclear base.

Up to 30 members of the Stop The Builders group brought traffic to a halt at Aldermaston atomic facility in Berkshire, which is currently undergoing modernisation.

One of the demonstrators, Sian Jones, said: "We want the Government to come clean, tell people what they are really building at Aldermaston and live up to their obligations under the non-proliferation treaty."

The protesters claim equipment to test and build nuclear weapons is currently being installed at the base.

An MoD spokesman said two arrests were made by military police at an entrance to the base.

He said incoming traffic was forced to use other entrances, adding: "The modernisation at Aldermaston is not exactly a secret."

Attending the protest was Sophie Bolt, vice chairman of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament.

She said ahead of tomorrow's non-proliferation conference in America: "The Government has signed up to get rid of nuclear weapons and what is going on here at Aldermaston is the total opposite of that.

"It is a £2.2 billion development which we believe will simple replace Trident."