A teenage protester was arrested after work to extend park and ride in Winchester was disrupted for two days by a site invasion.

Mike Edmondstone, of Christchurch Road, was taken to North Walls police station and released with a caution. The former Peter Symonds' College student was among a group of about 30 who set up camp at Bar End to try to save the meadow from the bulldozers.

They got through fences and jumped on diggers waving banners declaring: "Cows not cars" and "countryside, not park and ride."

They also climbed trees to stop them being felled. But on Wednesday, after two days of disruption, police threatened to arrest the protesters if they did not leave.

All hopped back over the fence apart from Mike (18), who said: "We are not just having a laugh. We truly believe in saving the meadow and think what they are doing is wrong. That is why I was prepared to be arrested."

The teenager has previously campaigned on the issue, collecting two petitions and speaking to a meeting of the full city council. Joining him at the protest was his sister, Emily, who hit the headlines years ago when she campaigned to join the boys' choir at Winchester Cathedral.

The 20-year-old music student predicted their ranks would be boosted by eco-warriors, "full-time professional tree-climbers" and possibly the Dongas, who campaigned against the M3.

Keith Story, leader of Winchester Meadows Conservation Alliance, said: "They are the sons and daughters of Winchester's great and good - respectable doctors, businessmen and the like. This is not rent-a-mob, but passionate young people."

Mr Story has complained to the Health and Safety Executive, claiming bulldozing continued despite fences being down. Work was stopped on Monday while the fences were put back, but they were pushed down again in the night.

"I walked up to a man on a bulldozer and told him he should not be digging because people were on site. But he just made the digger take a scoop of soil out in front of my feet - it was quite intimidating."

Mr Story has since been warned by police to stay off the site. The Bar End site, formerly the A33 bypass, was restored to grassland in compensation for the M3 cutting Twyford Down in two. But Hampshire County Council won the legal right to extend park and ride. Civic chiefs say the additional 400-plus parking spaces will cut congestion and pollution in the car-clogged city centre and have offered an alternative site at Morn Hill.

But naturalist, Professor David Bellamy, who joined over 100 campaigners for a rally, condemned the plan. "This is a travesty. This land was given to the people as compensation. The Highways Agency has done a first-class job rehabilitating it. It should not be trashed."

Ex-councillor, Heather House, added her voice, saying her former colleagues didn't know what was going on at Bar End and "voted like sheep".

Yesterday (Thursday), at 4am, following a call to police that six protesters were ripping down fencing and spraying graffiti, one man was arrested. Oliver Tate (18), of Brassey Road, was charged with criminal damage. He was bailed to appear before Basingstoke Magistrates on July 8th.