Peace protesters will be present when board members of United Kingdom Trade & Investment arrive for their meeting today, calling on UKTI to end its "disproportionate and unjustified" support for the arms industry.

Scientists for Global Responsibility (SGR) and Campaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT) have jointly condemned the sponsorship of a youth science event by the UK's largest arms company - saying it promotes weapons sales.

The government unit responsible for promoting British exports, UK Trade and Investment (UKTI), is facing calls for an end to its role in the arms trade, as activists launch a new campaign to keep up pressure on the suthorities.

Campaigners against the arms trade are recruiting Christmas characters to embarrass organisers of a family exhibition who are also backing death-dealing weapons exports. They are invoking the real 'reason for the season'.