Film and television star Lucy Lawless along with six other Greenpeace activists have been sentenced today for attempting to stop an Arctic-bound oil drilling ship last year.

The activists were sentenced to 120 hours' community service and ordered to pay $651.44 each in reparation to the Port of Taranaki when they appeared in Taranaki District Court today.

Lucy Lawless outside Taranaki District Court today after sentencing. Photo: Greenpeace.

The group had earlier pleaded guilty to illegally boarding the Shell-chartered Noble Discoverer in New Plymouth on February 24, while it was moored in Port Taranaki last year.

All seven were arrested after a 77-hour occupation of the tower and an eighth person was arrested on the first day of the operation.

The six activists sentenced today were Raoni Hammer from Lyttleton, Mike Buchanan from Diamond Harbour, Shayne Comino from Lyttleton, Viv Hadlow from Auckland, Shai Naides from Spain, Zach Penman from Hamilton and Ilai Amir from Auckland.

Speaking outside the court Lawless said the group is ‘proud' to have taken part in an attempt to stop Shell's reckless plans to drill for oil in the pristine Arctic.

'Since we occupied the Noble Discoverer, it has become evident to everyone watching, from the millions who have signed Greenpeace petitions, to the US Government, now examining Shell's plans that it can never be safe to drill in the Arctic.

'Shell's Arctic programme has cost them billions and it's now regarded as an eye-wateringly expensive failure.

'Let's embrace clean energy; we're going to have to anyway, so why not do it before they cause a major oil spill in the Arctic, and consign our grandchildren to an uncertain and dangerous world?"