ECO warriors stopped an oil company carrying out tests on the Atlantic sea-bed yesterday.

The Texaco ship, Pacific Horizon, was in the ocean towing a six mile string of explosives which send out sound waves for seismic testing.

But 10 Greenpeace activists in three inflatable boats sailed back and forward over the charges to stop them being fired.

And they threatened to jump into the freezing waters if scientists tried to carry on with the explosive test charges.

The confrontation took place 180-miles north-east of the tiny island of Rockall which is already occupied by three Greenpeace protesters.

They want oil firms to stop all new oil fields west of Shetland.

The inflatables came from the ship, MV Greenpeace, which shadowed the 250ft Pacific Horizon for the rest of the day to stop any new test attempts.

Greenpeace director Chris Rose said: "Seismic testing is where it all starts.

"It is the first phase in a process which leads directly to the emission of C02."

His organisation have condemned Prime Minister Tony Blair for continuing to back the search for new oil reserves.