More than 240 Twickenham residents signed a petition calling for an end to arms sales to dictators in the Middle East.

Kingston Peace Council collected the signatures in central Twickenham within just three hours on Saturday, September 10.

Government guidelines state weapons should not be sold to fuel conflict, yet it has been reported that the Government is still actively promoting arms sales to countries in the Middle East.

Kingston Peace Council member Mary Holmes said: “It was encouraging to find our feelings about the arms trade so widely shared in Twickenham and we plan to take our petition to Vince Cable and to continue raising awareness on this important issue and sharing our concerns with others in the constituency.”

Business Secretary and Twickenham MP Vince Cable is responsible for licensing arms exports.

Ms Holmes, who has been a keen campaigner against the arms trade for more than 20 years, said: “We have asked to see Vince Cable but the department has ignored us and does not reply to us. I think it’s outrageous to sell weapons to countries that have no respect for the concept of democracy.”

Demonstrators from groups including the Campaign Against the Arms Trade voiced their concerns at the London Arms Fair in the Docklands this week. The event began on Tuesday, September 13.