G8 protesters climb 150ft crane

The G8 protesters said their action on top of the crane was peaceful

Three anti-poverty activists from Sussex have been at the centre of the G8 protests in Edinburgh.

The trio, from Brighton, belong to the World Development Movement and chained themselves to the top of a 150ft crane on Tuesday morning, unfurling a banner.

They said they wanted to highlight the "hypocrisy" of Tony Blair and Gordon Brown's stance towards the Third World.

Lothian and Borders Police said they were monitoring the situation but had taken no action against the protesters.

Demonstrator Paul Hutchings, speaking by mobile phone, said: "We have hung out a huge banner stating 'no more Brownwash'."

This is a peaceful protest and we want to stay here as long as we can Paul Hutchings

From on top of the crane the 37-year-old said: "We believe Gordon Brown, Tony Blair and the Labour Government are hypocritical.

"They claim to support the aims of Make Poverty History, but the reality is that Brown and Blair are leading the charge toward further liberalisation and privatisation of markets in developing countries."

He added that he and the other protesters had "got up early" and were able to gain access to the crane by climbing over a fence.

"This is a peaceful protest and we want to stay here as long as we can, enjoying the view and getting our message across," he added.

'Debilitating conditions'

Fellow protester Leila Deen, 25, said they were taking action "to decry the trick the government is trying to pull".

"The crumbs of debt relief and aid increases that will be announced on Friday remain tied to debilitating conditions, which stands in direct contradiction to Make Poverty History," she said.

The third member of the group, Kath Pasteur, 34, accused Gordon Brown of ignoring the most important demand of the campaign.

"Trade rules must be re-balanced to favour the poor to allow countries to develop on their own terms," she said.

On Monday, more than 100 people were arrested in the city centre after violent clashes with police.