A GROUP of 20 people from the North-East were arrested for protesting at a Scottish nuclear submarine base yesterday.

Others arrested included a Labour MP and several church ministers.

The action by nuclear protestors at the Faslane base, on the River Clyde, was supported by Hollywood actor Sir Sean Connery, who backed the demonstration through a phone call.

Labour MP George Galloway, who represents Glasgow Kelvin ward, was detained, along with Scottish Socialist leader, MSP Tommy Sheridan, and Green Party MEP Caroline Lucas.

Thirty-five clergy and 15 ministers were among a total of 340 arrested.

Among the North-East contingent arrested were Chester-le-Street librarian Andrew Gray, 33, and students Rachel Slater and Ciaron Matthews from Durham University.

Students from Newcastle University and two elderly campaigners from Northumbria were also detained.

About 1,200 people blockaded the front gates at Faslane.

Those taken away by police were sat in the road.

Monica Frisch, a member of nuclear protest group Trident Ploughshare, said: "The action was entirely peaceful.

"What usually happens is that police arrest a lot of people, just so they can legitimately remove them from the road.

"They may not charge a lot of them with anything other than breaching the peace."