A SPECIAL police team had to be drafted in after women anti-nuclear protesters staged a tree climbing protest outside AWE Aldermaston.

The activists spent a night in the trees in an attempt to prevent their eviction from outside the gates of the AWE base.

For 18 hours, four women clung to branches of two trees at the Falcon Gate entrance to the Atomic Weapons Establishment.

Ministry of Defence police were unable to get the women out of the trees until a specialist police rescue team, equipped with ropes and ladders, went in and brought the campaigners down.

Welsh student and full-time activist Jenny Gaiauyn said the women had climbed the trees to protest against an eviction order that would have closed a protest site anti-nuclear campaigners have been using for 15 years.

Miss Gaiauyn said: "We are defending our human right to peaceful protest."

The area outside the Falcon Gate has been used as a women's camp for the purpose of peaceful protest against the manufacture of nuclear weapons.

The last time any trouble occurred at the gates of AWE Aldermaston was in May when more than 50 activists were arrested for forming a human blockade.

Sergeant Iain Stackhouse, of the MoD police based at AWE Aldermaston, said the protesters were evicted from their campsite because some had overstepped the mark of peaceful protest.

Sgt Stackhouse said: "Some started climbing the gates and prevented AWE employees from entering the premises.

"We respect the right of people to hold a peaceful protest. However, on this occasion the activity had not been peaceful. Some protesters displayed intimidating behaviour and deliberately obstructed activities at the site."

He added: "The protesters were asked to leave the site by 7pm on Thursday. The majority of them did, except for six people who climbed the trees.

"Two of them came down on Thursday night, and were taken to Newbury police station."

The four remaining protesters were arrested and taken to the Loddon Valley police station where they were charged with disturbing the peace under section 61 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act.

Of the four, three were immediately released on bail, and the remaining woman was released on Saturday, on condition that she stays one mile away from the AWE site and does not attend any demonstrations against AWE anywhere in the country.

Three of the women are due to appear before Newbury magistrates on Wednesday. The fourth will appear in August.