CAMPAIGNERS warned today that Fylingdales will become "Tony Blair's Greenham Common" if he tries to allow America to base Son of Star Wars missiles there.

The Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) was reacting with outrage to a report that the Government has secretly agreed a deal to house missiles at the RAF base on the North York Moors. CND said it would use all possible non-violent means to prevent such a move, including a peace camp, an awareness-raising campaign, demonstrations and direct action.

"Should deployment or building work begin at the base for these missiles, Fylingdales will become Blair's Greenham Common," said a spokeswoman.

Ryedale Tory MP John Greenway urged the Government to "come clean" about whether a secret deal had been agreed, as was claimed in yesterday's Independent On Sunday.

The newspaper said the offer was made at a meeting in Washington in May, with preparations now under way to overcome public and parliamentary opposition.

The newspaper claimed that British diplomats gave an agreement in principle, but asked that no formal request be made until after the next General Election.

Mr Greenway said he would be surprised if all the newspaper's claims were true, but said the Government had not been honest about its intentions from the start, and he would press for a full statement.

"I just don't think it's practical. We can't have a dual purpose station," he said. "But the Government can't be trusted on this. We need the Government to come clean on exactly what it is they have agreed."

Campaigner Jackie Fearnley, of Fylingdales Action Network (FAN), called for a public debate.

She said: "I think it's going to make many people very angry. I don't see how they (the Government) can avoid having some kind of national debate about it now because it's come out in the open."

York's Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate Andrew Waller said that if the reports were confirmed, North Yorkshire would be in a "dreadful" position, with Fylingdales even more of a target.

A Ministry of Defence spokesman said: "No formal approach has been made to the UK to base missiles here."

Updated: 10:26 Monday, October 18, 2004