Oxfordshire became the focus of the anti-Iraq war movement as hundreds of protesters gathered in the county.

Campaigners from across the country met outside RAF Brize Norton on Saturday - labelling the base a symbol of Britain's involvement in the Iraq war.

With dozens of banners, flags and drums, protesters marched to the base's main entrance where they laid flowers, and speakers read out the names of British soldiers and Iraqi civilians killed in the war.

The march continued to Carterton where a two-minute silence was held in the town centre, before a rally in Alvescot recreation area.

Speakers included Caroline Lucas, Green Party Euro MP, Andrew Murray, chairman of the Stop the War Coalition, and Kate Hudson, chairwoman of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament.

Organiser Andy Newman, of Swindon Stop the War Coalition, said he thought 700 or 800 people attended the protest.

He told the crowd: "Brize Norton is part of the occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan. It's from Brize Norton that the troops are flown out and tragically it is to Brize Norton that the bodies are flown back.

"Its planes should be used to evict the troops from Iraq and Afghanistan and bring them home."

Mr Murray said: "These bases are symbols - symbols of policies which are causing such carnage and bloodshed across the world."

The event was organised by several local groups, including Faringdon Peace Group, Oxford CND and Oxford Stop the War Coalition.

Phil Chesterton, of Faringdon Peace Group, said: "This is where the body bags come back and where the troops go out."

Mike Rowley, of Oxford and District Trades Union Council, said: "It's important locally because this is going on on our doorstep."

Liz Peretz, of Unison Oxfordshire, said: "Brize Norton should be as much a symbol as Greenham Common was in the old days."

The protest, which closed several roads, sparked concern among some Carterton shopkeepers who said it had deterred Christmas shoppers.

Lisa Fletcher, of shop Party Zone, said: "I think a lot of people thought 'We won't come to Carterton today'."

Her mum, Marilyn Fletcher, added: "We have definitely been quiet. I don't think it should have had an effect on the town as much as it has done."

But Emily Perkins, of Creative Crafts, said: "It won't have made much difference. Everyone had a good gawp and then carried on with their shopping."

Inspector Justin Archer, of Thames Valley Police, said he believed about 300 people had attended the event.

He said: "There was a lot of prior negotiation between the police and the organisers. There were authorised road closures which were put on for as short a time as possible so as to minimise disruption to the community. There was no trouble."