CAMPAIGNERS have again released photographs of a Ministry of Defence convoy on the M6 – something they say ‘terrifies’ them.

Members of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament say they believe trucks making up the convoy were transporting nuclear warheads.

The route they take uses the M6 through Cheshire to and from the atomic weapons establishment in Berkshire and the Trident nuclear weapons system base at Coulport, in the West of Scotland.

The convoy is believed to have been parked at Weeton Barracks, near Kirkham in Lancashire, on the night of Monday, July 25, after passing through Cheshire on the M6.

It was next observed on the M6 north of Carnforth the following day, prior to continuing its journey through Cumbria to Scotland.

It comes less than a month after a previous convoy was spotted on the M6, escorted by police vehicles, heading northbound passing junction 20 for Lymm interchange on Tuesday, June 28.

Philip Gilligan, spokesman for the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, said: “Less than two weeks ago the M6 northbound was closed for several hours after two HGVs collided, causing gridlock and seven-mile tailbacks.

“The fire was so intense that the road surface melted. It is terrifying to think that Ministry of Defence HGVs carrying nuclear warheads could have been caught-up in that fire.

“These convoys are on roads with ever increasing frequency, and dangerous nukes are passing our homes and communities in among everyday traffic on some very busy roads.

“We do not need nuclear missiles, and we would all be much safer without them on the M6 and the roads that connect to it.”

A Ministry of Defence spokesman previously said that in more than 50 years of transporting nuclear material by road in the UK, there has never been an incident that has posed any radiation hazard to the public or the environment.

They said: “Defence nuclear materials are transported only when necessary, and the safety and security of the public are the highest priority.

“All convoy operations follow strict and safe procedures, and the Ministry of Defence is equipped to respond to any incident, no matter how unlikely.”

The spokesman added that all convoy operations are conducted by highly trained personnel under strict operational and procedural conditions.

This is part of the Ministry of Defence's commitment to ‘maintaining the highest standards of safety and security’ throughout the operation.