FIVE protesters from the anti-nuclear group Trident Ploughshares have been arrested after painting on a fence at the Faslane naval base.

The demonstrators painted a demand for the abolition of all nuclear weapons and for the UK's Trident system to be scrapped directly onto the weldmesh fence that surrounds the base.

It is understood the arrests were made by Ministry of Defence police.

The Scrap Trident Coalition, of which Trident Ploughshares is a member, are planning two Bairns not Bombs events in the new year, a demonstration in Glasgow on March 28 and a blockade at Faslane on April 13 when they say they "expect to stop work at the base and close it down".

An Edinburgh Peace and Justice Centre spokesman said: "The political will in Scotland is to remove nuclear weapons. There is irrefutable evidence that moving them south of the border is not an option."

Trident Ploughshares said they welcome moves by Plaid Cymru leader Leanne Wood, Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and Green Party's Natalie Bennett to warn that their parties will want to see the UK abandon nuclear missiles in return for support in any future hung parliament.

One of the protesters, Brian Quail said: "Trident Ploughshares calls on the UK government to disarm its nuclear weapons without delay.

"We know that the Faslane/Coulport complex is the only site in the whole UK that can accommodate Trident, yet the Scottish Government has no say over the deployment of illegal weapons of mass destruction from here. This makes it essential that Scots vote for anti-Trident parties in the May general election."

The MoD was unavailable for comment.