CAMPAIGNERS have been voicing their objection to plans for two new mega prisons after 'welcoming' Braintree Councillors to their meeting on Monday.

Protestors with the Stop Wethersfield Airfield Prisons (SWAP) campaign made their objections heard after staging a protest outside the Braintree Council building at Causeway House.

Councillors were greeted by the protesters as they made their way their Annual General Meeting.

The group are protesting against the Ministry of Justice proposal to build two Mega Prisons on Wethersfield Airbase.

The crowd chanted "trees and parks not traffic and prisons" as councillors made their way in to the council offices

The chant reflected the new banners installed by SWAP at the bottom of Sculpins Lane approaching the proposed prisons entrance.

Organisers say several of the councillors came over and chatted with the 40 strong SWAP group telling them that they are hearing the concern of residents in the communities around Finchingfield and Wethersfield.

They added no Conservative councillors did so.

SWAP say there are now 12 parish councils which have joined the Wethersfield Airbase Scrutiny Committee (WASC) to oppose the Mega Prisons and review MoJ consultants’ assessments.

WASC has also engaged its own consultants to assess the implications for traffic, heritage, landscape and is producing digital modelling of the prisons in the landscape context using drones.

The SWAP Parliamentary Petition, given a boost by Chris Packham’s post supporting it on his Facebook page, has now reached more than 9,000 signatures.

When it gets to 10,000 the Government must provide a response to it.

Alan MacKenzie, chairman of SWAP said “The SWAP Campaign will continue to focus councillors minds on the totally inappropriate proposal from the MoJ to build two Mega Prisons in the centre of one of the country’s most beautiful areas.

"The proposal fails on National Planning Policies, Local Planning Policies and the MoJ’s own planning policies on the siting of new prisons.

To see the petition, visit /petition.parliament.uk/petitions/603619