A number of politicians were involved in the protest

About 30 politicians had gathered to continue demonstrations outside the Faslane submarine base on the Clyde.

SSP MSPs Rosie Kane, Carolyn Leckie and Frances Curran were escorted from the base after a protest at about 1100 GMT.

Plaid Cymru Welsh Assembly member Leanne Wood, Green MEP Caroline Lucas and Dutch socialists MP Krista Van Velzen were also removed by police.

Plaid Cymru's Jill Evans MEP was also understood to have been arrested.

They were continuing protests made by the Faslane 365 which said renewing Trident at a cost of �20bn would be anti-democratic, illegal and unethical.

This is a day for the elected representatives to come here and make their thoughts known Nicola Sturgeon MSP SNP

Police had been monitoring the protest from early in the morning, which was attended by various elected representatives including SNP deputy leader Nicola Sturgeon and SSP national convener Colin Fox.

Officers moved in after a small number of politicians lay down outside the entrance to the naval base.

The UK Parliament is due to formally decide this March on whether to give the renewal of Trident the go-ahead.

As she was led away, Ms Kane denied that protesters were wasting police time.

"It's important to take a stand here," she said.

"We are not the ones wasting police time here, it is the nuclear weapons on the Clyde that are wasting everyone's time and everyone's money."

TRIDENT MISSILE SYSTEM Missile length: 44ft (13m) Weight: 130,000lb (58,500kg) Diameter: 74 inches (1.9m) Range: More than 4,600 miles (7,400km) Power plant: Three stage solid propellant rocket Cost: �16.8m ($29.1m) per missile Source: Federation of American Scientists How Trident works

Ms Evans said: "We have taken part in the blockade today to reflect the views of the majority of people in Wales who oppose and have protested against Trident."

Earlier SNP Holyrood leader Nicola Sturgeon had reiterated her party's stance against the renewal of Trident.

"This is a day for the elected representatives to come here and make their thoughts known," she said

"I think the majority of people in Scotland are opposed to the billions of pounds that are going to be spent on these nuclear weapons.

"People oppose it on economic grounds as well as political and moral grounds."

However, Labour MSP Jackie Baillie told BBC Radio Scotland she thought the protests were directed at the wrong place.

"It is in fact Westminster that make the decision," she said.