About 200 veterans joined the march to Downing Street

About 200 survivors of the Arctic convoys delivered a 40,000-signature petition to Downing Street on Saturday.

Thousands died as they kept the supply lines open to the Eastern Front from 1941 until the end of the war.

The Ministry of Defence says service on the Arctic convoys counted towards the criteria for getting an Atlantic Star.

But many veterans were disappointed not to get a separate campaign medal like those for the Pacific and Burmese campaigns.

Commander Eddie Grenfell, 84, who leads the campaign, said it was an attempt to "buy them off".

We wouldn't mind if everyone was treated the same way Commander Eddie Grenfell

He said the Atlantic Star was for a different campaign and to qualify veterans had to spend six months at sea - most Arctic ships did not stay that long

The campaign for an Arctic Star began seven years ago and has the backing of MPs from all three main parties.

He said: "We wouldn't mind if everyone was treated the same way.

"But you were awarded a medal for just one day's service in the Mediterranean, and you got nothing if you spent five months up in the ice of the Arctic. It's injustice and we are fighting against that."

Many veterans were little more than teenagers when they braved freezing conditions and heavy fire from the Luftwaffe to deliver vital supplies.

Thousands of aircraft, tanks, food and other equipment was escorted to Soviet allies and the convoys were widely seen as helping tip the balance in favour of the Allies.

In 2002, Grigory Karasin, the Russian ambassador, presented veterans of the Arctic convoys with medals for bravery.