DEFENCE chiefs face an anxious wait over plans to step up security at a military base after they were ordered to stop building work.

Extra security measures were being brought in at RAF Fylingdales, on the North York Moors - reportedly a major part of the controversial US national missile defence system, the so-called Son of Star Wars.

But the work was started without planning permission and national park bosses told the early-warning base to stop work while approval was sought.

A retrospective application to erect a portable gate house at the entrance to the base and create an internal security patrol track has now been submitted.

National park chief planning officer Val Dilcock said: "They had done quite a lot of the development before this application had gone in. Now it is just that they are doing what they should have done previously."

Mrs Dilcock said no decision had been taken over the future of the half-built security measures, which were to include increasing the height of fences and adding a new inner layer of razor wire.

She said: "Until we have everyone's consultation response in, we will not be making any recommendations. We are consulting parish and district councils, English Nature, communities in the area and peace organisations."

Jackie Fearnley, from the Fylingdales Action Network pressure group, said campaigners feared the base was being prepared for the £20bn missile defence project through the back door.

"They are saying the extra security measures are required after September 11, but then how are we to know whether they want these extra measures to upgrade Fylingdales for missile defence purposes?" she said.

Mrs Fearnley, who lives in nearby Goathland, said there were also environmental concerns about the fragile nature of the park.