LAW Lords today ruled against 20 anti-war campaigners who claimed they were right to take action aimed at preventing the Iraq war.

The group, including Burnley Greenpeace campaigner Richard Watson, had asked if a valid defence was available to peace activists who allegedly broke the law to prevent an even greater "crime of aggression".

The case centred on action taken near Southampton docks, and at RAF Fairford in the run up to the war in 2003.

The five law lords this morning handed down a judgement unanimously dismissing the appeals.

Mr Watson was among a group of protestors who took part in a week of action at Marchwood military base near Southampton docks in the run-up to war in 2003 in a bid to prevent or delay military hardware leaving the country for Iraq so that the all-important "weather window" for the invasion would be missed.

They claimed they should not have been convicted of aggravated trespass because they were trying to prevent an illegal war and to stop "war crimes" being committed.

That argument was also being put forward by five people who entered RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire and allegedly attempted to damage and immobilise American B52 bombers which were due to take part in the in the so-called "shock and awe" assault on Baghdad.

The five are to be tried at Bristol Crown Court later this year.

Their defence was said to depend on the outcome of the House of Lords hearing.