Trident protester heckles Brown

Mr Brown was at the festival to launch a book of his speeches

Gordon Brown has been heckled by an anti-nuclear protester during a book signing event in Edinburgh.

A woman walked up to the stage as the Chancellor answered a question about replacing the UK's Trident weapons.

She tried to personally hand him a letter, but was prevented from doing so by police and security staff.

Mr Brown, who has signalled his own support for replacement, pledged to read the letter and reminded the crowd that no formal decision had been made.

The incident took place during the Edinburgh International Book Festival where Mr Brown was launching a book of his speeches.

Public debate

The Chancellor had been quizzed for nearly an hour by film director Anthony Minghella. He then invited questions from the audience.

Asked about his "support" for Trident, Mr Brown stressed: "I haven't declared what the government policy is.

"I believe there has to be a public debate - but people kept asking me what was my personal view."

I don't think at this point it makes sense for us to unilaterally throw away our weapons Gordon Brown

He then said the number of nuclear states in the world was increasing.

At that point, one of a small group of campaigners in Queen's Hall shouted out that was happening because the government had not upheld the Non-Proliferation Treaty.

The woman left her seat and approached Mr Brown, dropping the letter on the stage as security staff intervened.

She was allowed to return to her seat.

Mr Brown then said: "I don't think at this point it makes sense for us to unilaterally throw away our weapons.

"What I think makes sense for us to do is to use our weapons to negotiate downwards the amount of weapons that exist in the world".