MPs in Worcestershire have defended their decision to help renew Trident last night - saying Britain's deterrent is "vital" in keeping people safe.

All six county parliamentarians voted in favour of renewing the UK's nuclear weapons system, helping Prime Minister Theresa May secure a big Commons victory.

The £31 billion decision was passed by 472 votes to 117, a majority of 355 - with Worcester Green Party today criticising the MPs.

Worcester MP Robin Walker said: "This was something I asked a lot of questions about when I first entered the Commons and within my first year I became convinced.

"Trident is the only thing where we seem to talk about the 'cost' over a 30-40 year period - if we did that with NHS spending, for example, we'd be talking trillions.

"It's around three per cent of the yearly defence budget, a small part of that spending which gives us crucial guarantees over security."

Mid-Worcestershire MP Nigel Huddleston added: "I had no doubts about it, we've had cross-party consensus on our nuclear deterrent for the last 50-plus years.

"It's a necessary evil, we don't want it but we need it, with the likes of Russia and the threat from ISIS we do live in a much more dangerous environment.

"I was fully comfortable with it and had a lot of support from constituents, I have to say - like anything else I do in parliament I vote on what is in the best interests for my children."

He also criticised the 41 abstentions, almost all from the Labour Party, on a night when 140 of Jeremy Corbyn's MPs defied his wishes and backed renewal.

"That really annoyed me, we're hear to make important, tough decisions - if I was a constituent of one of those Labour MPs I would not be happy," added Mr Huddleston.

"Whatever way you've made your mind up, vote for it - don't just abstain."

It was West Worcestershire MP Harriett's Baldwin first major job as new defence minister.

She said: "People put politics aside and marched through the lobbies in support of our nation's security."

It means the rapid upgrading of four lethal submarines, with Defence Secretary Michael Fallon telling MPs Trident "puts doubts in the minds of our adversaries".

Mrs May spokes for the first time as Prime Minister, saying it would be an "act of gross irresponsibility" to abandon the continuous-at-sea weapon.

Councillor Louis Stephen, chairman of Worcester Green Party, said: "I totally disagree with Conservative and Labour policies to replace Trident.

"They can never be legally or morally used, they are utterly useless against terrorists.

"Our country is in the minority, very few countries have nuclear weapons, in fact just nine."

He said if it was ever used it would "cause hundreds of thousands of civilian deaths", calling it a "weapon of mass destruction".