Fathers 4 Justice members arrested in US

Two British Fathers 4 Justice activists were arrested as they protested at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington DC yesterday.

The men, wearing Captain America and Batman costumes, had scaled the memorial and unfurled a banner which read: "For the Fathers of the Nation: Fathers 4 Justice has arrived."

US Parks Police officers evacuated dozens of tourists from the memorial, which has been the site of many famous speeches, including Martin Luther King's "I have a dream" address.

The men were later identified as Jolly Stanesby, from Ivybridge, Devon, and Mike Downes, from Manchester. Both men have been arrested in the UK for similar protests.

In February, Stanesby was arrested for climbing Stonehenge while dressed as Fred Flintstone. In November 2004 both men, dressed as Father Christmas, forced the closure of the Severn Bridge when they spent more than five hours on its gantry.

The protest marks the start of a Fathers 4 Justice campaign in the US, a group spokesman said.