About 10 campaigners – members of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) and Theatre of War – arrived outside the base's main gate, off the A1101, at 11.30am.

The activists, some dressed as military aircraft and car salesmen, said they wanted to raise awareness of the large CO2 emissions they say are created by US Air Force planes.

RAF Mildenhall is home to the 100th Air Refueling Wing, which specialises in the aerial refuelling of aircraft.

Protestor Mell Harrison, 37, claimed a single KC-135 plane, which are stationed at the base, uses 44 gallons of fuel per minute, emitting approximately the same amount of CO2 as 2,000 cars.

She said: "You rarely hear about the vast amount of CO2 emitted by the military and, when all should be accountable for their carbon footprint, now is the time to put efforts and resources into tackling climate change, not fighting wars over oil resources."

During the demonstration, which lasted until 1.40pm, the campaigners used white flour to write Climate Criminals on the ground by the entrance and attached banners to the perimeter fence.

It was timed to coincide with the end of an annual gathering of environmental activists called Climate Camp.

A spokesman for the MoD Police, who dealt with the protest along with officers from Suffolk Police, said the demonstration had passed by peacefully.

It did not cause any disruption to operations on the base and the activists had co-operated with the MoD authorites, said a spokeswoman for RAF Mildenhall.

She added: "We're an environmentally conscious organisation, but we must balance being good stewards of the environment with completing our essential missions."

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