A priest arrested during an anti-nuclear demonstration at the Faslane Trident submarine base on the Clyde says he will carry on demonstrating.

The Rev David Platt says he is ready to be arrested again and adds: "It will only help to highlight our campaign."

Mr Platt, a prominent anti-nuclear campaigner, who is assistant curate at St Andrew's Church, East Hagbourne, was among a coach party of Oxfordshire protesters who made the 800-mile round trip to try to blockade the base, home to Britain's nuclear submarine fleet.

The demonstration, one of the biggest in recent years, was backed by church leaders, politicians and celebrities including actors Emma Thompson and Sir Sean Connery, who sent messages of support.

Coachloads of demonstrators from across Britain and Europe formed a human chain at the main entrance to the base.

Semi-retired Mr Platt, 70, who is co-chairman of Christian CND, who took part in a sit-down protest, was among 360 people arrested by Strathclyde Police.

He was held by police for more than nine hours. He was charged along with many others with causing a breach of the peace.

Mr Platt says: "We were sitting in front of the gates. It was a peaceful protest there was no violence and the police were very courteous.

"We believe it is wrong to send nuclear missiles under the oceans and we were protesting at the potential for genocide by our Government. Nuclear weapons are evil and immoral."

Mr Platt, a member of the Abingdon Peace Group, was chaplain to St Mary's Convent, Wantage, for eight years. He has been an anti-nuclear activist for 15 years. He says although he had been charged with a public order offence, he does not yet know if the matter would have to go to court.

The blockade was organised by anti-nuclear groups Trident Ploughshares and Scottish CND, who claim nuclear weapons breach international law because they cannot distinguish between civilian and military targets.

First published: February 14, 2001