A veteran North Yorkshire peace protester was back at work today following her arrest for a colourful protest on top of the gates of Buckingham Palace.

Grandmother Lindis Percy, 61, was arrested by police after a peaceful two-hour demonstration against today's visit by US President George Bush, during which she climbed the 20ft gates of the Queen's London home.

The tireless campaigner is best known for organising protests at Menwith Hill and Fylingdales and her role at the head of CAAB, the Campaign for the Accountability of American Air Bases.

Today, the health visitor, who used to live in Harrogate, made her way to work in Bradford following her release from Charing Cross Police Station in the early hours of this morning. She said she was "amazed" that her protest had had such an impact.

She said: "I am unable to go down to London on Thursday to join the demonstration so I decided to go down yesterday instead.

"I just walked up to the main gate at the palace. There were one or two tourists around, it was raining, and I just climbed up the gate.

"No one tried to stop me and I think that's actually quite worrying. I went past there again last night to get my car and there were police posted all around - but that's long after the event.

"I just wanted to say that George W Bush is not welcome. The demonstration on Thursday will be huge.

"People are genuinely saying 'We don't want him here'. It's outrageous that the visit is allowed, that he's wined and dined for leading us into a war that's illegal, that's proving catastrophic, and is getting more and more dangerous as the days go by."

The drama began at about 4pm yesterday when Mrs Percy scaled the ornate wrought iron gates and pinned a stars-and-stripes flag to them upside-down.

Firefighters later spoke to her from a crane raised directly in front of her, while ambulance staff and up to 20 police officers, who had cordoned off the scene, looked on.

Just after 6pm, Lindis voluntarily climbed down a ladder and was arrested in front of TV cameras and onlookers.

She said she had been bailed to return to the London police station on December 10 and had been told she may face charges of criminal damage or aggravated trespass.

Friend and fellow campaigner Annie Rainbow said the protest "shows up the absolute foolhardiness of inviting the wretched man, particularly when there's supposed to be a serious terrorist threat. Hopefully it will be followed by an awful lot of peaceful protests today."

Updated: 10:48 Tuesday, November 18, 2003