Five protesters held at West Burton power station, police searching for other people believed to have gained access to site of gas-fired power station in Nottinghamshire.

Five climate change protesters have been arrested on suspicion of aggravated trespass at the site of a gas-fired power station.

Nottinghamshire police said some of those involved in the protest had scaled buildings at West Burton power station after gaining access to the site at about 1.20am.

A police spokesman said: "Around 10 [protesters] are thought to have climbed the water towers and have secured themselves to restrict their removal. Searches are ongoing to find a number of other people who are also believed to have gained access to the site."

One of the protesters said a total of 17 people had climbed two towers roughly 80 metres apart. Speaking by mobile phone from the site, the woman, who gave her name as Ewa, confirmed the group was demonstrating against climate change and fuel poverty, as well as to highlight the need for renewable energy rather than "expensive and dirty" gas.

Ewa said: "Our motivation for this protest is to try and stop this government from locking us into a dependency on gas for the next 30 years. If billions can be found to bail out corrupt banks then billions can be found to fund a renewable energy economy."

Such an economy would create hundreds of thousands of green jobs, reduce household energy bills and benefit the environment, according to the protest group, who said they had sufficient supplies to stay at the power station for about a week.

Ewa said: "It's unusual that we are linking this directly to fuel poverty. We shouldn't be investing in any gas whatsoever."