PEACE campaigners are planning to surround Menwith Hill listening base in North Yorkshire in protest at plans for the Son Of Star Wars missile defence project.

CND is organising the "Women's Day of Encirclement" on December 12.

Helen John, vice chairman of CND, hopes similar demonstrations will take place at RAF Fylingdales on the same day.

The plans were revealed at a fringe meeting to discuss George W Bush's controversial plans at the Labour Party conference last night.

"We want to make it clear that what is proposed for Menwith Hill is against the interests of men, women and children around the globe," Ms John added.

The meeting, entitled US national missile defence: the threat of a new arms race, was unanimously against NMD. It took place despite the scrapping of plans to debate the issue in the main conference arena.

Updated: 14:16 Tuesday, October 02, 2001