Six Greenpeace campaigners have secured themselves to an oil rig in the North Sea to protest at political and economic attitudes to global warming in the US.
The activists climbed aboard the Sante Fe 135 oil rig 30 miles east of Aberdeen from the MV Greenpeacesupport ship at around 6.30 a.m.
The protesters were inside in a bell-shaped capsule they hoisted to the platform's underside.
Greenpeace spokesman Mr Rob Gueterbock said the protest was over the threat to global warming from the opening up of new oil fields.
He said: "The rig has been chosen because it is in a new oil field, which means more oil adding to global warming. It is a peaceful protest."
The protest comes four days after Greenpeace staged a similar demonstration on a drill rig leaving for the North Sea when nine activists spent a night perched about 60 metres above the water in Cromarty Firth 20 miles north of Inverness.
PA