Activists gather ahead of the climate camp in Russell Park Justin Tallis

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AS many as 3,000 green activists are preparing to swoop on a secret location in London as part of a week-long climate camp.

The campaigners are expected to join the climate camp to protest against Government policy and to train for future direct action.

They plan to suddenly gather at an as-yet undisclosed grassy location somewhere within the M25 this afternoon.

Participants have been asked to sign up for six swoop groups that will begin the day with small scale protests at key locations at noon.

Protesters on foot will gather outside the head office of BP in St James's Square, the Bank of England and Stratford station, near the 2012 Olympic site.

Others will meet outside mining company Rio Tinto, in Aldermanbury Square, and Stockwell Tube station, to mark the death of Jean Charles de Menezes.

Meanwhile, cyclists will mass outside the headquarters of Shell on the South Bank, near Waterloo railway station.

A game of cat and mouse will then begin as protesters are directed to the final campsite destination by a series of text messages.

Scotland Yard made a last-minute plea with organisers to tell them where the event will be held.

Senior officers said the secret location makes it harder to prepare people for any disruption, to plan a policing operation and to safeguard campers.

The police held meetings with organisers and invited them to speak at an officer briefing at the Met's Gravesend public order training centre last week.

But campaigners have said they still "don't trust police", who they blame for violence, theft, harassment and sleep deprivation.

The actions of the Met will be under intense public scrutiny as a result of a series of critical reports into how police tackle mass protests.

One police watchdog said officers should communicate more effectively with protesters and warn them of their plans.

The practice of containing people for long periods of time, widely known as "kettling", has also been criticised.

The camp will be set up as a series of mini neighbourhoods, complete with shops, toilets, a radio station and daily events.

Those planning to attend the camp have been warned to leave penknives and "anything which looks remotely nasty" at home.

In previous years climate camps have been held at Heathrow airport and power stations in Kingsnorth and Drax.

Activists picked London as a site because they want to highlight the damaging impact of many big corporations based in the capital.

They also want to target the centre of British politics and highlight the consequences - such as flooding from the Thames - that rising temperatures would have.

Participants have been asked to vote on whether a "great climate swoop" in October should take place at power stations in Drax or Ratcliffe-on-Soar.