Families head to court in fight to end disruption of anti-Trident protests

Key quote

"We asked the protesters to stay off the road for the duration of the exams. The kids were severely disrupted. We've put up with the peace camp for 25 years, but this has gone too far." - IAN TODD

Story in full FAMILIES who have endured 25 years of disruption from anti-nuclear protesters at Faslane are to go to court to prevent the peace campaigners from bringing chaos to their daily lives.

Lawyers acting for residents on the Rosneath Peninsula are seeking a court order against protesters who blockade the road and prevent school buses from passing the nuclear submarine base.

Members of the Peninsula 24 Seven group believe the demonstrators are breaching the Human Rights Act by denying their children their right to education.

Ian Todd, whose son Alasdair, 15, is among those affected, said almost 100 youngsters have been unable to get to school, while others were 45 minutes late for their exams. "We live in Rosneath, about seven miles from Faslane. The roads were blocked during the prelim exams for Standard Grades," he said.

"We asked the protesters to stay off the road for the duration of the exams. The kids were severely disrupted. We've put up with the peace camp for 25 years, but this has gone too far."

The original Faslane Peace Camp was set up in 1982 in protest against the government's decision to base the country's Trident nuclear submarine fleet there. There have been numerous large-scale protests and several high-profile arrests, including those of politicians Tommy Sheridan and George Galloway.

However, last year, news of Whitehall's decision to renew the multi-billion-pound defence plan prompted the creation of a new and more vociferous anti-nuclear group.

Called the 365 Project, the aim was to hold a year-long protest outside the base.

Linda Gallagher, 44, from Rosneath, said she and her daughter, Kasey, 14, were being treated like political prisoners because of the actions of the protesters.

Her youngest child takes the school bus to Hermitage Academy in Helensburgh, but is often late for school or misses it completely because of the blockades.

Ms Gallagher said: "Ironically, I don't want nuclear weapons and I agree with their right to protest, but I do not think they should block the road.

"In a democracy, you vote at the ballot box, not by blocking the road.

"These people are very selfish. My daughter has missed school completely and has been late for school on numerous occasions. This has been on and off for six months."

The protesters, who glue or chain themselves to the road outside the naval base, bring traffic to a halt and affect hundreds of residents en route to work in Helensburgh and Glasgow.

Those worst affected live in villages on the Rosneath Peninsula in Argyll and Bute. When the road is closed, they are forced to take a 25-minute detour along the A817 Haul Road to Loch Lomond, then back along the A82 before joining the A818 to Helensburgh.

Yesterday, a number of residents met procurators-fiscal and Jackie Baillie, the MSP for Dumbarton, to discuss the problem. Cameron Fyfe, the lawyer representing the parents, said he would use one of the children as a test case and seek compensation for disruption to their studies.

He said: "When these people glue themselves to the road, they are acting unlawfully. It takes four hours to reopen the road.

"We'd seek an interim interdict for a court order against them protesting in such a way that it interferes with the child's education.

"The damage to the children's education could be significant. The courts would have to balance the rights of the child with the rights of the protesters."

In April, residents who live near the submarine base on the Clyde launched a protest against disruption caused by demonstrators. More than 100 residents from Garelochhead marched to the Faslane Naval Base to complain that action by anti-Trident protesters often leads to the A814 road to the village being closed.

Many people have been prevented from going to work by the road blockages and other demonstrations. Since 1 October, protesters have gathered at the base in opposition to nuclear missiles and submarines as part of the Faslane 365 campaign.

Matt Bury, a resident at the peace camp and member of the 365 campaign, said:

"They [locals] say it causes disruption, but it's not every day that we're doing the blockade.

"Our aim is not to disrupt the local community.

"However, this is the home base for Britain's nuclear weapons system and this is a cause that needs to be kept on the agenda."

In February, political, church and union leaders joined forces at a rally to put pressure on the government to ditch the Trident nuclear weapons system.

About 1,000 protesters joined the demonstration in Glasgow calling for plans to update the submarine-based system to be abandoned.

The event, tied in with an anti-war and anti-nuclear rally in London's Trafalgar Square, came as a poll found that 76 per cent of Scots would rather see money for Trident spent on public services.

'EVERY DAY IS IMPORTANT. IT'S UNACCEPTABLE MY SON SHOULD MISS ONE DAY OF SCHOOL'

WHEN Ian Todd heard his son's trembling voice on the phone, he knew that something was wrong.

Fifteen-year-old Alasdair, who has learning difficulties, was among the 100 children in Argyll and Bute who were left "home alone" because the school bus had been turned back by protesters at Faslane.

While many teenagers welcome the idea of a day off school, Alasdair was upset and confused. "Alasdair has an auditory memory problem," explained Mr Todd, 47. "Obviously, I was really concerned when I realised he couldn't get to school.

"I was stuck at work in Edinburgh and when he rang he sounded quite upset.

"He gets quite emotional because of his learning difficulties. When I realised he was left alone in the house, I was worried."

Like his school friends on the Rosneath Peninsula, Alasdair was prevented from getting to Hermitage Academy in Helensburgh by the actions of the demonstrators who closed the road on 28 March.

Now, after 25 years of disruption to his everyday life with frequent blockades, Mr Todd has had enough.

"My son needs more help at school, not less. Every day is important to him and it's unacceptable that he should miss even one day of school.

"I have a legal obligation to get my child to school and if I don't do that I could be taken to court. Why should these people be allowed to disrupt our lives and think they are above the law?"

Mr Todd, who lives in Rosneath, said he is deeply concerned about the effect on younger children who are unable to get to school. "We're finding teachers cannot get to school when the road is blocked.

"There are younger children, 12-year-olds, who are being left home alone because of all of this.

"This is no way to treat children.

"In my view, these protesters are selfish people; they don't give a damn about the community."