Protestors arrested at US air base

Eight people were arrested this morning after peace campaigners broke into RAF Lakenheath and chained themselves to the gate of the ammunitions area.

Eight people were arrested this morning after peace campaigners broke into RAF Lakenheath and chained themselves to the gate of the ammunitions area.

The protest by members of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament followed a large rally outside the Suffolk airbase on Sunday , which was attended by more than 200 people.

Today's incident, which occurred at 8am, aims to highlight their campaign against possible nuclear and cluster bomb weapons at the American base.

Many of the eight protestors come from the Norfolk area and were cut down by Ministry of Defence police and were taken to Newmarket and Mildenhall police stations following their arrest for criminal trespass.

A MoD spokesman said: “MoD police have arrested eight people at RAF Lakenheath today on suspicion of criminal trespass under Section 128 of the Serious and Organised Crime and Police Act.”

“It follows an alert from American security personnel at 8am today of intruders in the outer perimeter of the base. The arrested people are two men and six women and are believed to be British nationals. They locked themselves to an internal security gate and specialist MoD officers cut them free. Four have been taken to Newmarket police station and four to Mildenhall where they will be questioned by police later today.”

“All arrests were within non sensitive areas of RAF Lakenheath.”

Around 200 protestors braved the elements on Sunday for the largest rally ever seen at the USAF base, which included speeches from veteran peace campaigner Bruce Kent, Kate Hudson, chairwoman of national CND and Jeremy Corbyn MP.

They also held a symbolic two minute blockade of the main gate to protest against claims that more than 100 nuclear weapons are being held at Lakenheath.