GREENPEACE activists were today planning legal action after police raided their Rainbow Warrior ship and removed it from its blockade of Marchwood Military Port.

More than 20 officers from the Hampshire and Ministry of Defence forces boarded the ship from the Admiralty tug Powerful.

Welders cut the ship's anchor chain with oxyacetylene torches before the boat was dragged away on Saturday evening to berth 49 in Southampton's commercial docks.

The move followed a request from a representative of the Secretary of State for Transport, Alistair Darling, after activists moved Rainbow Warrior back into position to block military supply ships leaving Marchwood.

A spokesman for Hampshire police said: "The boarding was carried out with no opposition from the crew."

A Royal Navy spokesman said: "We have given the Rainbow Warrior ample opportunity to follow the directives under the terms of the 1995 Merchant Shipping Act. Their clear intention was to stay there."

But Greenpeace activists believe the executive order was unlawful.

A government bid to ban Rainbow Warrior from Southampton Water was ruled unlawful by a High Court judge on Friday.

Mr Justice Thomas said: "Such an injunction is not to be granted lightly. This is a political protest against a very important matter."

Instead he made a temporary injunction banning anti-war protesters from boarding or attaching themselves to military supply ships.

The crew of Rainbow Warrior were awaiting the return of their anchor so the ship could be made seaworthy.

Spokesman Rob Gueterbock said: "Greenpeace is utterly determined to avoid this headlong rush into war."