Blair rival jailed for missile protest

RAF Fylingdales, where John cut the fence

A 63-year-old woman who is standing against Tony Blair in the general election has been jailed for protesting against the "Son of Star Wars".

Helen John cut a hole in the perimeter fence of an air base in North Yorkshire while she was demonstrating against the US's proposed missile defence system.

The US National Missile Defence scheme succeeds Ronald Reagan's Strategic Defence Initiative - nicknamed Star Wars.

The system is designed to track and destroy incoming ballistic missiles.

RAF Fylingdales is a ballistic missile early warning station which would play a key role in the system.

I feel like Gandhi or Nelson Mandela, you know you are right and cannot be persuaded otherwise

Helen John

John, a founder of the Greenham Common protest, was found guilty earlier this month of causing criminal damage at RAF Fylingdales.

On Monday, magistrates in Harrogate jailed her for three months.

The former midwife from Otley in West Yorkshire has vowed still to stand on a "No Star Wars" platform against the prime minister in his Sedgefield, County Durham, constituency.

Previous convictions

Other members of the peace movement will be canvassing on her behalf while she is behind bars.

She hopes her campaign will raise the "Son of Star Wars" issue in the UK.

John has been protesting since 1981 and has 31 previous convictions for criminal damage.

The peace campaigner said: "I will be campaigning while I'm behind bars, there's nothing to stop me writing to people and the press.

"A lot of people feel ashamed, depressed and upset when they are locked up but I don't have any of those feelings.

Pacific protest

"I feel like Gandhi or Nelson Mandela, you know you are right and cannot be persuaded otherwise."

Earlier this month, a Scot who took part in a protest against the proposed programme at a US military test site was jailed for a month.

Mike Townsley, 37, from Edinburgh, entered the base on the Marshall Islands in the Pacific carrying a banner saying "Just Say No".

Fellow campaigner Anne Marie Rasmussen, from Denmark, was also jailed for a month for the protest.