The masked protesters were from the group Fathers 4 Justice

The masked protesters from the group Fathers 4 Justice used a ladder to climb part-way up Plymouth Crown Court.

A handful of other campaigners gathered outside with placards and leaflets.

Fathers 4 Justice spokesman Matt O'Connor, from Cavendish in Suffolk, said the two masked protesters were fathers from the Plymouth area who had lost the right to contact with their children.

The judges are careful to make sure that they place the child's interest at the top of their list of priorities when deciding these cases Spokeswoman for Lord Chancellor's department

"We are sending a warning to parents in Plymouth and the West Country that the judgments made in Plymouth Family Court can lead to the complete severance of the relationship between children and their fathers if, in the event that when a relationship between parents breaks down, they find themselves at the mercy of some of this country's most notorious judges," he said.

Police were called to the scene and the road outside the court was sealed off.

Fathers 4 Justice has around 1,000 members.

A poll of the group's supporters at a recent meeting revealed that 42% thought Plymouth was the worst family court in the country.

Two arrests

The group plans to hold a demonstration in London on Father's Day.

A spokeswoman for the Lord Chancellor's Department said she could not comment on individual cases decided at the Plymouth court.

"The judges are careful to make sure that they place the child's interest at the top of their list of priorities when deciding these cases," she said.

"It is not about what is best for the parent, it is about what is best for the child."

A Devon and Cornwall Police spokesman said two protesters were arrested for aggravated trespass.