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Sunday, 3 February, 2002, 19:31 GMT
Seven held over Trident sub protest
Vanguard is the first sub of its class to have a refit
Police have arrested seven people as they protested against the arrival of the Royal Navy nuclear submarine HMS Vanguard in Plymouth for its first major refit.
The 150-metre-long submarine, a part of the UK's nuclear deterrent, was accompanied by four tugs, police boats and Royal Marines in inflatable boats. Hundreds of people, some cheering, lined the shore to greet the submarine on Sunday morning. A few hours later, an estimated 300 environmental and anti-nuclear campaigners held a protest in Devonport Park to oppose the refit. Trident missiles "It is a criminal weapon and it can only be used to threaten and massacre combatants and non-combatants and that is against international law," one protestor said.
"It is sad to think all that technology is being wasted and is threatening world peace," another woman said. Police moved in when one group held a sit down protest outside the main Drake gate at Devonport naval base. Seven were arrested for the wilful obstruction of the highway, although police said the demonstration had been peaceful and otherwise without incident. The submarine's arrival suffered only a minor hitch when the front tug lost a line due to heavy swell, but another tug quickly took over. A special dock, capable of withstanding earthquakes, has been constructed at Devonport naval base for the refit.
The Vanguard-class submarines normally carry 16 Trident missiles, but all of HMS Vanguard's nuclear weapons were removed prior to her arrival in Devonport. She is the first of the four submarines in her class to undergo a refit. The submarine's arrival signals the start of work on nuclear submarine refits for Devonport, which controversially beat Rosyth in Scotland to win the contract nine years ago. The protesters made it clear that they do not want the nuclear-powered submarines in Devonport, which is surrounded by heavily-populated areas. Police presence Trident Ploughshares, Greenpeace, CND and CANSAR (Campaign Against Nuclear Storage and Radiation) joined forces to hold the protest rally and march.
March organiser Ian Avent said people had travelled from Scotland and Southampton for the protest. He told the rally his concern was for the effect of radioactive discharges into the environment. "What is happening here today is wrong and dumping stuff into the environment is wrong." Around 300 police officers were on duty in the city to maintain public safety and ensure the protests were peaceful. Commodore Ric Cheadle, commander of Devonport naval base, said the arrival of the submarine had gone "fantastically well". He said the Vanguard contract had brought more than �1bn into the local economy and guaranteed employment for hundreds of people for a decade.
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