A WEMBLEY peace activist and environmental campaigner has been jailed for refusing to pay a £50 fine he was given while taking part in a peaceful protest.

Daniel Viesnik said he would rather go to prison then pay the fine which he incurred during a symbolic sit-down demonstration outside the Atomic Weapons Establishment, at Aldermaston, Berkshire, in July 2007.

The 35-year-old, of Chamberlayne Avenue, Wembley, was sentenced to 14 days' imprisonment at a hearing at Highbury Corner Magistrates' Court on Monday for 'wilfully obstructing a highway'.

In December last year, Mr Viesnik wrote to the court explaining why he would not pay the penalty.

He said: "I have given the matter plenty of consideration and have thus arrived at the decision that as a matter of conscience I shall not pay the outstanding sum, either as a lump sum or by instalment.

"My wholly unnecessary, disproportionate and unjust prosecution, conviction and penalty for 'obstructing the highway' arose from my participation in an entirely peaceful symbolic sit-down protest.

"My strength of feeling on this issue is such that I am prepared to face imprisonment rather than pay the fine, despite never having experienced prison before."

This week friends of Mr Viesnik - including Green Party parliamentary candidate for Brent East, Dr Shahrar Ali, who described him as an 'upstanding citizen' - condemned the 'harsh' sentence.

He said: "Dan Viesnik is a force for good and I completely stand by him. It is outrageous that he should be imprisoned for exercising his right to protest outside a bomb-making plant.

"It is the warmongers who would use these weapons against innocent women and children around the world who should be on trial. This sentence is totally unjust and did not merit a custodial sentence."

Martin Francis, who also knows Mr Viesnik and is a member of Brent Green Party, said: "I express my admiration for Dan's principled action and his courage at a time when there is so little of either in evidence from our politicians.

"To think Tony Blair has got away with waging a war which killed thousands of innocent civilians, but Daniel has been jailed for wanting peace."

Mr Viesnik had also not paid court costs of £465. He will serve his sentence at HM Prison Pentonville in north London.