A HIGH Court judge has granted the Ministry of Defence a temporary injunction banning Greenpeace anti-war protesters from boarding or attaching themselves to British military supply ships bound for the Gulf.

But Mr Justice Thomas refused to order the Greenpeace ship Rainbow Warrior to move from its present position in Southampton Water where, the MoD alleged, it was blockading the port.

He said he was not persuaded on the evidence so far presented that the vessel was causing an obstruction. He would look in detail when the matter returned to court for a full hearing on Wednesday.

The judge said he was granting the interim anti-boarding injunction because of safety concerns about interference with the loading of high explosives and munitions on to ships at Marchwood Military Port.

Yesterday Greenpeace had to temporarily abandon the protest due to worsening weather. But protesters vowed to return at the earliest opportunity.

In court, the MoD's counsel, David Goldstein, said Greenpeace's latest action against Lyra J, which was waiting to pick up supplies for the Gulf, followed earlier disruption of the loading of Magdalen Green.

The judge said: "Such an injunction is not to be granted lightly. This is a political protest against a very important matter."

MEP flies out on Iraq mission

GREEN MEP for South East England Caroline Lucas will fly to Baghdad tomorrow on a European fact-finding mission in Iraq.

Dr Lucas is part of a 33-strong cross- party European Parliament team who will receive a progress report from United Nations (UN) weapons inspectors.

The delegation is travelling at the request of more than 100 MEPs from all 15 member states who signed an anti-war appeal in December.

This week a poll of 1,000 people in Hampshire by the Daily Echo revealed people were three to one against Britain joining a war with Iraq.

Dr Lucas said: "The majority view in Europe - as in the UK - is that we should not embark on an immoral and counter-productive military adventure at the behest of the US.

"War will cause a humanitarian tragedy and a political crisis."

The MEP delegation, which will be in Iraq until next Friday, will meet representatives of a number of UN agencies and visit a hospital in Basra in southern Iraq. The group will also assess the humanitarian impact of sanctions on Iraqi civilians.