Workers split over pension fund investing in arms trade

Members of the Avon Pension Fund are divided on whether their retirement savings should be invested in the arms trade.

- Alex Seabrook

The campaign group are calling for the council to divest from arms companies

A new survey shows that more members back investing in aerospace and defence companies than those who prefer stopping this investment.

The defence and aerospace sector is one of the West's critical economic sectors - with thousands of people employed in places such as South Gloucestershire, Yeovil and Cheltenham.

Last month thousands of public sector workers in the Bristol and Bath region were surveyed to find out their views on how their savings are invested.

This follows calls from the Palestine Solidarity Campaign to stop investing in companies which produce weapons used by Israel.