THOUSANDS of East Lancashire Girl Guides have taken part in a programme run by a fighter-jet manufacturer at the centre of several recent local protests.

BAE Systems, which maintains a major plant in Samlesbury, says that it created its 'Clever Cogs' programme in partnership with Girl Guiding North West with the aim of promoting an interest in engineering amongst girls and young women aged 5 to 24.

Since its launch in 2017 more than 23,000 girls and young women, around 3,000 of them from East Lancashire, have taken part in the programme which sees participants earn badges in return for completing engineering related tasks, with the most recent 'Making Waves' badge launched last week on June 23 to coincide with International Women in Engineering Day.

A BAE Systems spokesperson said: "We created the Clever Cogs badge programme to dismantle stereotypes of what it means to be an engineer, and to give girls and young women the opportunity to learn about Engineering in a fun and engaging way.

"Collaborating with a female-led, empowering organisation, Girl Guiding, has been the perfect opportunity for us to achieve this goal."

However, groups including the Lancashire Peace Forum, which has organised several recent protests against the firm, have described the partnership as inappropriate given recent controversies over the use of BAE jet components by the Israeli military in its recent attacks on Palestinian territories and the firm's ongoing role supplying the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

On June 4 over 200 protesters, bussed in from four locations in Blackburn, gathered outside the factory gates with 69 cardboard coffins, each signifying a child killed during the Israeli bombing of Gaza.

Lancashire Peace Forum spokesperson Asif Mahmud said: "BAE Systems are trying to present themselves as a caring and ethical corporation by engaging with the local community in activities such as the Girl Guides.

"However, this is a public relations exercise to negate or hoodwink the public.

"No amount of corporate PR can change the fact that they are selling weapons to regimes like Israel and Saudi Arabia, which are then used to kill innocent men, women and children."

Campaign Against the Arms Trade spokesperson Andrew Smith also condemned the partnership.

He said: "The Guides could not have found a less appropriate partner than BAE, which has a long history of arming and supporting some of the most abusive regimes in the world.

He added: "BAE's equipment is playing a devastating role in Yemen, where Saudi forces are using it in the ongoing bombardment.

"In recent months we have seen it used by Israeli forces in the brutal bombing of Gaza.

"We would urge the Guides to think again, and to end their relationship with BAE."

In response to the recent protests however, BAE Systems has said its activities are in line with global trading regulations.

A spokesperson said: “Our activities are subject to compliance with international trade control requirements, including US and UK trade control regulations, and our own responsible business trading principles.”