PROTESTERS are planning a mass blockade to disrupt work at a nuclear bomb factory next month.

Commuters can expect delays on February 15 as anti-nuclear campaigners are planning to blockade the various gates to the Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE) at Aldermaston.

The blockade will be a joint effort by members of various protest groups, including Trident Ploughshares, Aldermaston Women’s Peace Camp and the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND).

Myra Garrett, Trident Ploughshares member and blockade organiser, said: “We hope it will be a very loud statement that will be heard by the people in power in the run-up to the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT) review in May.”

She added: “If there are enough people at the protest, the staff will have to stop work, at least for a day, so it’s a peaceful, non-violent way of saying ‘stop what you’re doing’.”

The operation of the NPT is reviewed at a conference every five years and the next review is taking place from May 3 to 26 in New York.

Rachel Whybrow, AWE media and publications officer, said: “We recognise that everyone has a democratic right to demonstrate peacefully and lawfully.

“Ministry of Defence police officers will be working closely with Thames Valley Police to ensure the protest does not compromise safety and security.”