By Simon Freeman, Times Online

Environment ministers from the world's richest nations gathered today for a G8 summit which began under intense security in a village in rural Derbyshire.

Police in the county were mounting their biggest operation since the 1980s miners' strikes after reports that protestors planned a series of demonstrations to greet the arrival of delegates to the two-day conference at Breadsall Priory in Morley on the outskirts of Derby.

Charles Clarke, the Home Secretary, has granted the local force a series of emergency powers to contain the protests by closing roads and banning crowds from gathering in the villages surrounding the venue.

One protest, organised by the internet-based group Dissent, encourages activists to complete a series of challenges including hurling a custard pie at a G8 minister and planting a skull and crossbones flag in the 18th hole of the hotel's golf course.

The £2 million security operation involving 1,000 police from 23 forces has been launched amid fears that the summit could attract violent protests similar to those in Genoa in July 2001 when about 100,000 activists descended on the Italian city.

Police have been granted powers to prevent trespassers from entering an exclusion zone surrounding the venue and will deploy specialist "spotters" to identify known trouble-makers.

Shops and businesses throughout the city centre were warned to take precautions, such as briefing staff, closing ground-floor windows and restricting access, while the road leading to Breadsall was lined with police.

Protesters were thought to be planning to use today's meeting as a warm-up for the main G8 summit in Scotland in July where Tony Blair will host President Bush and President Vladimir Putin.

As the conference began this morning, however, the only sign of dissent was a peaceful protest in Derby's Market Place held by members of Friends of the Earth and pressure group People and Planet, who are calling for a commitment to provide Africa with clean water supplies.

Inside the venue, which is surrounded by an 8ft double fence and guarded by police, Margaret Beckett, the Environment Secretary, and Hilary Benn, the International Development Secretary, welcomed ministers from Canada, Russia, Japan, Italy, France, Germany and the United States as well as representatives from the United Nations and the World Bank.

Ms Beckett said: "The welfare of the planet and the well-being of its citizens are inextricably bound together. The problems that face us are by nature international and can only be addressed by the international community working together.

"The cost of doing nothing is too great. Together we can make a real difference not just for our own citizens but for all the peoples of the world."

Callie Lister, a spokeswoman for Friends of the Earth who was part of the Market Square demonstration, said: "We are disappointed not to be able to take our protest to the G8 ministers meeting itself, but we hope that our message will still get through.

"People in Africa need clean water, not oil. Climate change poses a major threat to development in Africa and yet the G8 nations are pumping development money into oil."

The theme of today's discussion is the impact of extreme weather on African communities and the environmental threats caused by illegal logging. Ministers will ask how rich, industrialised nations can reduce their consumption of illegally-logged timber, and improve monitoring procedures.