PAPER ghosts will be hung on the fence of a North Yorkshire military base by nuclear disarmament campaigners to commemorate people killed in Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Protesters from across Ryedale, Scarborough, Darlington and Whitby will meet on Monday at Eastgate car park, Pickering, to take part in a ten-mile walk to RAF Fylingdales.

Banner-waving campaigners from Fylingdales Action Network (FAN) will join six people from Yorkshire Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament on the last leg of their epic 70-mile "peace march". The march, between North Yorkshire's two spy bases, Menwith Hill and Fylingdales, started yesterday.

Keith Mollinson, a member of FAN, said its aim was to raise awareness of early warning stations, the son of Star Wars issue and their link with a nuclear threat.

"The walk is to do with Hiroshima Day - the anniversary of the dropping of an atomic bomb on Hiroshima," said Mr Mollinson, of Whitby.

"Then on Monday, Nagaksaki when the same (type of) bomb was dropped on the city of Nagaksaki," said Mr Mollinson.

"We're doing this partly to bring people's attention to the fact that nuclear weapons are still a threat in this world. The changes to RAF Fylingdales are part of missile defence but the base could still be used as a weapon. It's not a mass event; there should be about 20 people."

Neil Kingsnorth, Yorkshire CND development worker, said: "When we reach the base we will have a moment of silence, walk the recently discovered footpath up the inner fence to plant a banner saying 'No more Hiroshimas', place shadow figures on to the outer fence of the base to represent the shadows left by those killed by bombs 59 years ago and light candles."

The shadowy figures are intended to represent the 50,000 people who lost their lives 59 years ago.

Mr Mollison said the peace marchers would use the roads, rather than hike cross country, and Yorkshire CND and North Yorkshire Police were not concerned about possible heavy traffic caused by the Pickering Traction Engine Rally.

Updated: 09:15 Saturday, August 07, 2004