A peace group are using a neon sign of a dancing sailor to keep Russian submarines out of Swedish waters.

The Swedish Peace and Arbitration Society (SPAS) have created the device, which broadcasts a message in Morse code: “This way if you are gay”. The “Singing Sailor” was lowered into the Baltic Sea near Stockholm in April.

It is intended to prevent incursions by Russian submarines, which have increasingly been sighted in Swedish waters over the last few years.

A week-long search for a submarine in 2014 – Sweden’s biggest military operation since the Cold War – cost £1.7 million, and the sign is intended to be a cost-effective method of avoiding this.

The sign reads “Welcome to Sweden – gay since 1944” – the year homosexuality was legalised in the country.

Russia is notorious for anti-gay attitudes, as well as its “gay propaganda” law that prevents broadcasting or providing information about same-sex relationships.

Anna Ek, Chairman of SPAS, said in a statement: “If military action and weapons had worked as conflict resolution methods, there would have been peace in the world long ago.

“If there is a submarine down there beneath the Baltic waves and the crew should happen to see or hear the Singing Sailor they are welcome to join us in the Stockholm Pride Parade on the 1st of August.”

A Russian MP recently declared the free U2 album distributed on iTunes was “gay propaganda”.