THREE Greenpeace campaigners who seized control of Rockall in protest at Atlantic oil exploration said yesterday they have already installed some creature comforts on the rock outcrop.

They now have electric power and light on their precarious perch and have put up deckchairs.

As they prepared for their second full day on Rockall, where they landed by helicopter on Tuesday night, the trio said they were passing the time monitoring wildlife and settling in.

"We had a good sleep last night-the previous night we did not have much sleep because we had so much work to do," one of the trio, named only as Al, 32, from Newhaven, Sussex, said.

"It is warm and dry inside our survival capsule and we have a wind generator and solar panels giving us more electricity than we need."

They are living in a bright yellow survival capsule 12ft long, held in place by heavy straps tethered to the rock with 16 anchors.

The electricity powers their light, satellite phone, radios and a personal stereo.

The three seized the 65ft high rock outcrop to protest at oilmen extending the search for oil from the North Sea into the Atlantic, claiming that the climate cannot cope with the effects of burning the oil that is already being produced.

Al said: "We plan to stay here as long as it takes."

But he admitted that a month was likely to be the longest practicable stay.

The Greenpeace protest has been dismissed by the Department of Trade and Industry, responsible for oil exploration.

It said that as Rockall is British, they have every right to be there but environment considerations are a key component of the licensing procedure.

It emerged yesterday that Royal Navy sailors called off an exercise at the last minute after Greenpeace protesters seized Rockall.

Men from the frigate HMS Monmouth planned to join a military attempt to host the biggest tea party around the world by brewing up on the rock.

But as they were preparing to fly off the ship, a member of the crew heard a radio news item saying that Greenpeaee had occupied Rockall.

"The sight of Royal Navy personnel leaping from a sleek, grey military helicopter on to the tiny rock might have led to some misunderstanding," said a Naval source.

"Given the situation, I think it might have been difficult to convince them that the Navy was only there to drink tea."

Monmouth's crew cancelled the flight and the tea party took place in the comfort of the modern ship, which is on exercise in the North Atlantic.

British servicemen around the globe, including Bosnia and India, took part in the event to raise money for the Soldiers Sailors and Aimmen's Families Association charity.

They aimed to drink their way through 432,552 cups to beat the world record.