Faslane protesters await eviction

Anti-nuclear protesters at the Royal Navy Faslane base on the River Clyde in Scotland were last night awaiting the arrival of council officials seeking to evict them.

Officials from Argyll and Bute Council, which voted earlier this year to authorise "all necessary steps" to clear the site, had been expected at the camp all day. But a protester called Graham said that there had, so far, been no sign of any officials. A council spokesman confirmed: "There are no council officials down there. The occupiers are still on the land and we will be reviewing that over the next few weeks." The camp has been located on a grass verge at Shandon overlooking the main entrance to the Faslane complex since 1982. The spokesman said the council had decided to act because of complaints from people in the area. But Graham said: "We haven't had any complaints from local people ... It [the eviction] is not justifiable."