THIRTEEN Quakers are planning to blockade a nuclear base at the end of the month.

The members of the Society of Friends, who meet in Bush Road, Wanstead, will attempt to obstruct access to the nuclear-carrying submarine base Faslane, near Glasgow.

They will join several other groups as part of the Faslane 365 campaign, set up to put the Government under pressure to shut down its nuclear weapons.

Melvyn Freake, 59, from Hamilton Avenue, Barkingside, will be among the party travelling to Scotland on the last weekend in October.

He said: "Quakers are in favour of solving conflict in a more peaceful way. Nuclear weapons have always been immoral but are obviously more so now, especially when our Government has signed a non-proliferation treaty and gets outraged at the prospects of other countries obtaining them.

"There is going to be an important debate on whether to renew nuclear arms. I hope readers will make their views known to their MPs. I heard an MP say that the protests about going to war in Iraq came after the debate in Parliament and were therefore too late."

To prepare for the blockade, the group completed a day's training last month.

Mr Freake, who works for Waltham Forest Council housing department, said: "The training was about the idea of non-violent action and decision making. Most people when protesting would just sit in the road but we now know there are other options, like linking yourselves together with chains."

As well as protesting about the possible renewal of nuclear weapons, the group is keen to promote alternative uses of the money that would be spent.

Mr Freake said: "The cost is astronomical. We could be using the money as a means of addressing problems abroad and helping other countries rather than waving bombs around.

"We think the Government should be pursuing overtures that help with fair trade and world poverty."

The Faslane 365 scheme, which started on October 1, will run until the end of September 2007, with groups from across the UK being invited to join the protest for at least one two-day period over the course of the year.

Wanstead's Quaker group has also arranged another activity on the weekend of the protest to help highlight the problem and the action.

There will be a vigil on Wanstead High Street in the Somerfields area on Saturday, October 28, between 10am and 1pm, and will be open to all.