The Evening Press at York delivered a hard-hitting message to George Bush and Tony Blair when the US president flew into Britain.

With two military early-warning bases in its patch, the North Yorkshire paper has been campaigning long and hard against George W’s “Son of Star Wars” programme.

And when the US President arrived in London, what better opportunity for the paper to take the fight to the top.

The Evening Press produced a special front page to deliver a strong message that North Yorkshire said ‘No to Son of Star Wars’.

And chief reporter Mike Laycock was despatched to London to deliver copies to Mr Bush at the US Embassy and to Tony Blair at Downing Street.

The paper’s front page was dominated by a comment expressing fears that American-run bases at Menwith Hill and Fylingdales would be upgraded to include them in the US missile defence shield project – and so make North Yorkshire a front line nuclear target.

A two-page spread explained the background and highlighted local and national opposition to the project.

Laycock also delivered letters to Bush and Blair from editor Liz Page expressing grave concerns and asking them to think again about including the bases in the Star Wars programme.

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