Hundreds of activists are to stage a blockade at a naval base today in protest over the nuclear missiles stored there.

Faslane Naval Base, in Argyll, is home to the UK's Trident weapons system, which campaigners want disarmed.

The large demonstration will take place at the North Gate of the base this morning, and organisers are expecting up to 1,000 people to attend.

The blockade follows a weekend of action calling on the UK Government to scrap Trident and use its budget to fund "human needs" like welfare, education and health.

It is expected to attract support from disability rights campaigners, students, pensioners, trade unionists, councillors and environmentalists.

The Scrap Trident Coalition group wants Scotland to be allowed to "lead the way to a world free of nuclear weapons".

On Saturday, up to 2000 supporters of the cause marched through the streets of Glasgow and came together for a rally in George Square.

One of the organisers, Brian Larkin, from the Scrap Trident group and co-ordinator of the Edinburgh Peace and Justice Centre, said: "We want the resources that go into Trident to fund disability benefits, create jobs, scrap the bedroom tax, fund the NHS, fund education and fund welfare.

"Obviously you can't fund all of it with that but we want further cuts in the military. We don't want to be associated with Nato, we want Scotland to take a different tack from the UK and to be true to itself.

"This time around there's a strong feeling against the current Con-Dem Government's programme of austerity measures.

"The poorest people are paying the price; regular, ordinary working people.

"The momentum is moving in the nuclear disarmament movement. Now is the time to make a concerted effort to disarm Trident and not replace it with any other nuclear weapons system."

Having Trident does not make the UK a safer place to be, he said.

"One hundred and eighty-seven countries in the world don't have nuclear weapons. What do we need them for?"

The Fund Human Needs blockade is said to be one of more than 100 similar protests in dozens of countries as part of a Global Day of Action on Military Spending.