AN OXFORDSHIRE man was on board a ship in the Arctic stormed by Russian soldiers.

Phil Ball, a cameraman from Chipping Norton, is one of the six Britons who were aboard the Arctic Sunrise when it was boarded by Russian security officers while in the Barents Sea.

A total of 30 Greenpeace activists were aboard the ship.

The Russian soldiers came on board after four Greenpeace members tried to board a Russian oil platform to prevent it from drilling.

Greenpeace has confirmed that the 42-year-old Mr Ball is aboard the boat.

The local branch of Greenpeace declined to comment when asked about Mr Ball.

But Pete Barker, who used to be involved in the Oxford branch with Mr Ball before moving to Wales, said: “You would imagine that what with all the attention that it is getting, Russia would release them soon, but we are worried about him.

“Phil is a great guy. He got into environmental activism because of a deep concern about climate and how his children are going to fare. He is a good family guy and deeply worried about the situation of the world.

“He is very passionate about Greenpeace.”