Press Releases & Updates 2001

Angie Zelter (49), from Cromer in Norfolk, one of the Trident Three, appeared today in Helensburgh District Court after being arrested yesterday. Angie had an outstanding warrant against her because she had refused to attend for trial on the grounds that the district court should wait for the High Court judgment on the Lord Advocate’s Reference which will be sharply relevant to her defence.

Justice of the Peace Joe Scullion offered Angie a new date for the missed trial. Angie then told him that a senior Scottish lawyer, Ian Hamilton QC, had accepted the campaign’s case that Trident is illegal under international law and had been arrested at Faslane yesterday. She then invited the JP to join Trident Ploughshares. Mr. Scullion declined. Also released from custody by the court were Georgina Smith and Tiff Clelland who had initially refused to give arresting police the full personal details required.

Jenny Gaiawyn, a student at Bangor University, was sent to Cornton Vale women’s prison in Stirling this morning. When they arrested her yesterday the police acted on an outstanding warrant against her for non-payment of a fine. Jenny also served time at Cornton Vale last August for non-payment of a fine.

Today Armed Forces Minister John Spellar stated: "HMS Vengeance and the officers and men who serve in her will now begin to play their part in the maintenance of deterrent patrols in future decades."

A Trident Ploughshares spokesperson said: "John Spellar’s statement today confirms our suspicion that this government’s paper commitment to rid us of its nuclear arsenal is just so much window dressing. The civil resistance to Trident must continue and intensify. Yesterday’s blockade shows that the number of people ready and willing to share in this urgent disarmament task is growing all the time."

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