FLOWER power triumphed over military might for veteran peace campaigner Anne Lee yesterday.

Magistrates in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, had to balance the wellbeing of a patch of rare orchids with the security of a top-secret US spy base.

And the 61-year-old was given permission to carry on monitoring the progress of the threatened plants.

Ms Lee, from Otley, appeared before the court accused of criminal damage to the Ministry of Defence fence that protects the American-operated listening base at Menwith Hill.

She pleaded not guilty and the case was adjourned until July 22 with Ms Lee being granted bail in the meantime.

But the court agreed to vary a condition of her bail which stated that she could not approach within 100 metres of the perimeter fence.

Ms Lee, a keen amateur botanist, discovered rare orchids - including spotted orchids and hybrids - on land on the public side of the fence 15 years ago.

She has since been monitoring the plants, which are currently flowering, and sending her records to botanist Professor Richard Bateman, of the Natural History Museum. One particular sub-species, which she needs to monitor every three days, grows close to the fence.

Ms Lee's bail was varied to keep her 100 metres away from most of the security fence, but allowing her to within ten metres in the orchids area.