Six charged over nuclear break-in

Six peace activists have been charged after a break-in at one of Britain's key nuclear weapons factories.

The protesters, from Norwich, Leeds, Leicester and London, were arrested at the Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE) at Burghfield, Berkshire, on Tuesday.

Ministry of Defence (MoD) police confirmed five women and one man breached the perimeter fence.

The six have all been charged with criminal damage. They are due to appear before Reading magistrates on Monday.

They include a 47-year-old history teacher, a 19-year-old house wife, a 43-year-old single parent, a 30-year-old violin teacher, a 27-year-old sustainable policy adviser and a 25-year-old university researcher.

The AWE is a private contractor of the MoD.

The Burghfield base is one of Britain's two main nuclear weapons plants, the other being at nearby Aldermaston.