Criminal charges against three peace protesters who staged a mock weapons inspection at an arms components factory have been dropped.

The case against Paul Robinson, Jaya Sacca and Lorna Marcham collapsed after a judge ordered prosecutors to disclose details about police tactics on the day of the demonstration.

The Crown Prosecution Service withdrew the charges after two days of legal argument at Brighton Magistrates Court because Sussex Police did not want the information in the public domain.

The three were arrested for alleged public order offences when they took part in a protest outside the EDO MBM factory in Home Farm Road, Brighton, last March.

The factory makes bomb release components for fighter jets and has been a target for anti-war campaigners for almost two years.

Mr Sacca, 34, of Springfield Road, Brighton, has now launched civil proceedings accusing the police of arresting him maliciously.

Mr Robinson, 32, of Coombe Road, Brighton, said: "The collapse of this case upholds our view that our arrests were a result of heavy-handed policing designed to outlaw peaceful protest."

The three were among a group of 12 protesters from the organisation Smash EDO who dressed in white boiler suits and demonstrated outside the factory.

They were arrested under Section 14 of the Public Order Act for failing to comply with the conditions of a police order restricting them to a certain area and limiting the time of the demonstration.

Mr Robinson added: "It was a theatrical protest, a media stunt, and at no time were we intending to intimidate or harass EDO employees.

"We believe the arrests were designed to add weight to EDO's application for a High Court injunction the following week preventing protest at the factory."

The defendants had lined up comedy activist Mark Thomas to appear at the trial as an expert witness on theatrical protests.

Chief Inspector Kerry Cox, of Sussex Police, said: "Sussex Police and the CPS were right to bring about a prosecution against these defendants.

"At the trial, the prosecution were asked to disclose specific details in relation to operational tactics and sensitive information used to brief police officers.

"As a result, and in order to rightly protect this police information, the prosecution took the decision to not disclose the details and took the preferred option to offer no evidence in this case.

"The prosecution could not therefore proceed.

"Legislation exists in order to protect sensitive police information from disclosure when necessary and it was this that influenced the decision taken in this case."

Last month Mr Sacca, Miss Marcham, 20, from Southampton, and Tom Gittoes, 22, of Preston Drove, Brighton, had earlier convictions of trespass at the factory overturned by a judge at appeal.

They were arrested for staging a rooftop demonstration at the factory last year.

EDO MBM secured an interim injunction limiting the activities of protesters at the factory in order to prevent staff being harassed. A further High Court hearing on the case is set for next week.

Meanwhile, a further protest has been planned outside the factory on February 14 from 4-6pm.