Labour MP George Galloway was among 350 protesters arrested yesterday during an anti-nuclear demonstration at the Faslane Trident submarine base on the Clyde.

Socialist MSP Tommy Sheridan and Green MEP Caroline Lucas were also detained as around 700 people tried to blockade the base, home to Britain's nuclear submarine fleet. The demonstration, one of the biggest in recent years, was backed by church leaders, politicians and celebrities, including actors Emma Thompson and Sir Sean Connery, who sent messages of support.

The protest started at 7am when coachloads of demonstrators arrived from across Britain and Europe, forming a human chain at the main entrance to the base.

They unfurled banners, banged on drums and chanted slogans, and police had to cut through tubing which some protesters had used to tie themselves together.

Mr Galloway said: "We are worried about how to pay for care of the elderly and reducing class sizes in schools. However, we are spending millions on weapons of mass destruction that will never be used."

Mr Sheridan recently spent five days in jail for non-payment of a fine imposed after a similar protest last February.

The blockade was organised by anti-nuclear groups Trident Ploughshares and Scottish CND, who claim nuclear weapons breach international law because they cannot distinguish between civilian and military targets. Three high court judges are considering the issue following a sheriff's ruling that three women who vandalised a Trident installation at Loch Goil were not acting illegally.

Ploughshares spokesman David Mackenzie said they were delighted at the turnout and a powerful message had been sent to the government.