PEACE campaigners say they will stage a demonstration against the development of unmanned aerial combat vehicles at Parc Aberporth and nearby Qinetiq.

They are calling for more "consultation and debate" with local people about UAV projects, especially as the development programme is supported by the Welsh Assembly, which is backing it with £3million.

"At the very least people have the right to know what their elected representatives are going to spend their taxes on before they spend them," said Harry Rogers, of Bro Emlyn for Peace and Justice.

At a recent public meeting about the Middle East, hosted by the peace group, calls were made for non-violent direct action to be organised at the Aberporth sites.

Mr Rogers, who chaired the meeting, said: campaigners were "extremely worried " by the announcement earlier in the summer that the ASTRAEA Centre is being established at Parc Aberporth with the backing of £3million of public money.

ASTRAEA (Autonomous Systems Technology Related Airborne Evaluation and Assessment) is a national programme which involves a number of companies including the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company (EADS), Qinetiq, Flight Refuelling Ltd (FRL), Thales and BAE Systems . The dedicated ASTRAEA centre at Aberporth will focus on the technology being developed through the programme.

Mr Rogers said: "This project is extremely worrying for we ordinary mortals living in west Wales as most of us only get to hear about the WDA trumpetings of new jobs and economic development opportunities, but nothing about what is actually being planned at Parc Aberporth.

"To put it simply, what kind of jobs are they going to be and what will the products arising out of this industrial development be used for?"

Mr Rogers added that he will be writing to AM Rhodri Glyn Thomas to ask him to pose some "key questions" in the Assembly on the way in which it appears "keen to get into bed with" partners such as EADS, FRL, Thales and BAE Systems.

"All of them are among the major armaments developers in the world," he said. "It is time that Assembly minister Andrew Davies began to understand that Wales is a fledging democracy and that the people of Wales do not want to be larded up with spin in the usual smoke and mirrors approach of Westminster style government," added Mr Rogers.