Wantage and Didcot MP Ed Vaizey has branded last week's Greenpeace protest at Didcot Power Station a stunt that only served to "confuse" the debate on climate change.

The protest, pictured right, began at about 5.30am on Thursday and lasted nearly 36 hours. One group of protesters climbed the station's 650ft chimney stack and a second group chained themselves to a coal conveyor belt.

The demonstration ended on Friday afternoon after protesters were served with a court injunction ordering them off the site. Mr Vaizey said: "Didcot Power Station has made huge strides in reaching its carbon reduction targets, including an ash reprocessing plant and a biofuels plant that I opened only two weeks ago.

"We will only make progress on climate change if we work with existing suppliers and put forward realistic goals. This stunt by Greenpeace does nothing to combat climate change, and simply muddles and confuses the debate."

Police arrested 25 people on suspicion of aggravated trespass and criminal damage in connection with the protest at Didcot Power Station. All have been released on police bail until January.

But the slogan 'Blair's Legacy', painted on the chimney stack during the protest, has yet to be removed. Station manager John Rainford said local specialists would have to be employed to remove the paint after a full safety assessment.