TWENTY-SIX protestors were arrested during clashes with police at the start of a 'peace blockade' protest in May 1983.

More than 1,000 Thames Valley Police officers manned the gates at the then-Upper Heyford air base.

A major confrontation between protestors saw 60 peace campaigners dragged away by 250 officers, who then linked arms to form a tunnel for cars and pedestrians to enter the base.

The Upper Heyford peace campaigners, who organised the blockade, saw thousands of demonstrators over four days.

There was anger from local villagers at the peace protest, however, with parish and church councils calling on police to ban the blockade.

Two Upper Heyford pubs even barred their doors to the demonstrators, the Oxford Mail reported at the time.