WHILST most people were tucking into turkey and unwrapping gifts on Christmas Day, Skipton campaigner Olivia Agate braved the cold to continue her endless campaign against nuclear war.

Mrs Agate, of Hallams Yard, boycotted Christmas Day celebrations to go to Chequers, the Prime Minister's private residence.

There she lobbied Tony Blair to try to get across her message against nuclear war and the continuous bombing of Afghanistan and Iraq.

Mrs Agate, 60, and fellow campaigner Sylvia Boyes, of Keighley, who are both members of Trident Ploughshares, wanted to deliver a Christmas card to the Prime Minister, containing a message against the fighting.

The card was taken from them and they were escorted out of the grounds in a police Range Rover.

The women held a vigil at the gates and put up one banner asking Tony Blair to uphold the law and disarm tridents and another picturing tombstones and the names of all the countries bombed by the British and the Americans since the Second World War.

Eventually they were moved away by police but tried an alternative route to the residence.

"The second time we got closer to the house before they saw us. We are peaceful and non-violent campaigners and we just wanted to deliver our message," said Mrs Agate.

"We felt it was not fair for the Prime Minister and President Bush to enjoy themselves while the bombing continues in Afghanistan and Iraq.

"It seemed grotesque for us to celebrate Christmas when all this was going on and even more grotesque for them to be celebrating."

She added that police with dogs and guns asked them to leave but they carried on trying to get closer to the house. The women were stopped, searched and threatened with arrest.

When they still refused to leave the pair were forcibly removed. Possessions including Blu Tack, string and scissors used to make and tie up the banners were taken from them.

"We would have liked to have got closer to the house, but we did not know what sort of fencing there would be and it was hard to plan," said Mrs Agate.

She added that it was worth missing Christmas Day for.

After a peaceful three-hour protest the women left.

This is not the first time the women have campaigned against war and nuclear weapons.

In the past they have lobbied Parliament and chained themselves to the railings at Downing Street and held a silent vigil outside Skipton Town Hall in the days following the launch of the retaliation strikes on Afghanistan after the terrorist attacks in New York.

Mrs Agate is currently waiting to appear in court in Newbury to face two charges of criminal damage.

The offences relate to a demonstration in May when members of Trident Ploughshares cut their way into the atomic weapons establishment at Aldermaston.