AMERICAN military bases in North Yorkshire make the region a priority target for terrorist attacks similar to those that devastated the US, peace campaigners claim.

They say that the attacks show the "futility" of the proposed US missile defence shield in the face of a new threat to global security.

Anti-nuclear weapons demonstrators have consistently said that the presence of spy bases Fylingdales and Menwith Hill in North Yorkshire make the region a target not only to any 'rogue' states but also to possible terrorist attacks.

"This is something we have been saying for some time now," said Dr Dave Webb, chairman of Yorkshire CND.

"Bases like Menwith Hill are logical targets for anyone wanting to carry out an attack here and have been for a long time.

"As well as that, what happened in America shows the futility of what they are trying to achieve with this proposed missile defence system.

"If one or two missiles had been launched by these so called rogue states then they could have been tracked. There would be nowhere for the country responsible to hide.

"But the attacks on the country didn't come in this way. That is the problem with terrorism.

"No-one knows where the attacks are coming from. No-one knows what form they could take and they are very difficult indeed to trace."

Meanwhile, reports of attacks on campaigners at the Menwith Hill peace camp appear to be exaggerated.

One demonstrator, who asked not to be named, said: "There are regularly people coming past the camp, but, since America was attacked, only two have been hostile - and they were both English.

"They weren't physically violent, just angry, and we were happy to discuss the issues with them as best we could."

Updated: 11:42 Thursday, September 13, 2001