THE ANTI-WAR movement made its mark in Southampton this morning when the famous Greenpeace protest ship Rainbow Warrior dropped anchor off Marchwood Military Port.

Greenpeace was staying tight-lipped about the reasons for the visit, but a spokesman warned: "Don't expect any fireworks."

The ship was moored at the entrance to the port, attempting to block any military craft from leaving.

Protesters in rigid inflatable boats also daubed the words "No War" on Dutch cargo ship Magdalena Green.

Police officers took to the water to confront the activists, one of whom scaled the side of the ship.

Rainbow Warrior has featured in an incredible list of stand-offs with authorities and has become synonymous with daring protests. Its predecessor was famously blown up by the French government for interfering with nuclear testing.

A spokesman for the environmental pressure group Greenpeace refused to reveal its purpose in Southampton Water.

"It is standard practice when the ship is around not to talk about what it is doing for the safety of the people on board it," he said.

Hampshire's anti-war activists took their campaign to the gates of Europe's biggest military port at Marchwood on Saturday.

A dozen peace campaigners ranging from two-year-old Jordan Bigay to 72-year-old Margaret Leigh staged a peaceful vigil outside the port that has seen huge amounts of supplies and weapons begin the journey to the Middle East.

Little Jordan wore a banner which pleaded "Don't kill Iraqi children" and his dad Stuart, 38, said: "We are here to show that local people don't support the war.

"There may not be a lot of us here, but a lot of things are happening and on February 15 in London there will probably be half a million people sending out the same message."

Veteran peace campaigner Margaret Leigh, also from Hampshire, said: "I'm 72 and I've seen it all before.

"But I'm not worried. You just have to go on, knowing that if they want to kill themselves they will, but it still doesn't achieve anything. I'm pledged to peace."

Southampton Against War campaigner Rose Lindsay from Portswood said: "We are against this war because it's not a just or legal war.

"I'm against wars in general and wars are usually about resources - this war's about oil. But it is usually the civilians who suffer and, in the last war, civilian casualties were very high."

Juliet McBride, from Southampton's Northlands Road area, described a war with Iraq as "nonsensical and illegal" and said most people opposed conflict.

She added: "It will add to the number of Iraqi civilians who have been dying over the past ten years.

"It is also wrong to say there are links between al-Qaida and Saddam Hussein. There are reasons to suggest links between al-Qaida and Saudi Arabia, but not between al-Qaida and Saddam."

The small demonstration at Marchwood came as "human shield" protestors headed from London on buses to Iraq in a bid to deter any US-led attack.