WORK by artists who secretly infiltrated a notorious arms fair will be on display at an exhibition coinciding with the fair’s return to London next week.

The government will be welcoming tyrants, dictators, warmongers and human rights abusers to the capital on Tuesday to browse through weapons of torture, death and destruction at the biennial Defence and Security Exhibition International (DSEI) arms fair at the ExCel Centre in Newham.

Protests are planned by campaigners against the arms trade for the fair’s duration.

Among those opposing the arms fair will be artists who are mounting the Art the Arms Fair exhibition for the third time, from September 11 to 17.

Exhibition organiser Ksenya Blokhina said: “Most Londoners don’t know that their city plays host to arms dealers or facilitates weapons deals with very real consequences.

“As the UK welcomes refugees fleeing Afghanistan, Art the Arms Fair aims to harness the power of art to tell the story of the arms trade and its effects on people around the world.”

Among those exhibiting will be Piers Secunda, Walid Siti and Jill Gibbon, who spent several years infiltrating DSEI in disguise.

Jill Gibbon said: “At DSEI, war and repression are sales opportunities.

“It promotes bombs and missiles as glamorous products, then when families flee the war zones they create, it promotes surveillance equipment and tear gas to keep them out. If the public knew what goes on in DSEI, it would be banned.”

Art the Arms Fair boutique will be opening its doors at 50 Brook Street W1K 5DR from September 11 to 17, between 12 and 8pm.