Peace protesters 'blocked military base'

More than 350 people joined the protest

Two 71-year-olds were among peace protesters who appeared before a judge on Tuesday accused of blockading a military base weeks before the war in Iraq.

Twenty-two people have gone on trial accused of refusing to leave a sit-down protest outside a military base in Northwood, north-west London, in January.

More than 350 people took part in the protest and many have been fined after admitting obstructing Sandy Lane outside the armed forces' Permanent Joint Headquarters.

Those on trial are accused of sitting down on the road near the gates, rather than the designated protest areas. They deny the charges.

Pensioner Francis Mackeith, 71, told the court: "I did not come all the way from my home in Winchester to Sandy Lane just to obstruct Sandy Lane.

'No particular side'

"I am a member of the Society of Friends known as Quakers, and for 300 years that body has done what we call witnessing for peace.

"That was what I was doing in Sandy Lane."

Chief Inspector Kevin Latham, who was policing the demonstration, allowed them to move directly in front of the gates for a few hours as a compromise, the court heard.

But they ignored his 30-minute warning to leave the area and instead questioned him about whether he knew the war was "illegal".

The court heard he stressed that his job was to uphold the law and said the police took "no particular side".

Tried in absence

He added the protest's organisers had not been arrested because they chose to move on to the designated areas.

Of the 22 people on trial, only 16 appeared before a district judge in Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, on Tuesday.

Four failed to appear and will be tried in their absence, one was excused from attending that day and another wrote in to change her plea to guilty.

Among those in court were Londoners Nicholas Buxton, 30, Pat Arrowsmith, 63, David Polden, 43, Angela Broome, Christopher Gwyntopher, Anselm Heaton, Melanie John, Hilary Pethick and Ernest Rodker.

The others included Katie Abu and Jerry Hartigan, 71 , both from Northampton, Francis Mackeith, 71, from Winchester, Lyn Bliss, 52, from Luton, Michael Nendick from Brighton and Richard Childs from Nottingham.

Gabriel Carlyle from East Sussex was in court but was fined £65 and ordered to pay £30 costs after changing his plea to guilty.