SUPPORTERS of anti-war candidate Reg Keys hailed his campaign against Tony Blair a success last night.

Mr Keys, who stood against Mr Blair in Sedgefield, County Durham, believed he has sent a clear message to the Prime Minister that issues surrounding the war in Iraq would not go away.

The Independent candidate, whose Red Cap son, Lance Corporal Tom Keys, was killed in Iraq, was confident of cutting Mr Blair's 17,713 majority.

Mr Keys said: "I feel my campaign has gone well. I've had a good team and gathered great support.

"About 100 canvassers got out on the streets over the bank holiday weekend and we've given it a good shot.

"I won't win, but any dent in the 17-and-a-half-thousand majority sends a resounding message to Blair that the war issue will not go away."

Mr Keys, whose wife, Sally, joined him in Sedgefield for the first time last night at the constituency count at Newton Aycliffe Leisure Centre, will use the campaign as a springboard for his next battle.

He said: "Next I want to push for an inquest of the six military policemen killed in Iraq, of which my 20-year-old son was one."

But Liberal Democrat candidate Robert Browne said that despite the high profile of Mr Keys' campaign, which has included celebrity supporters such as Brian Eno and Frederick Forsyth, people in Sedgefield would not vote because of their views on the war.

He said: "People have shown enormous sympathy for Mr Keys, but people are more concerned with issues such as health, care for the elderly and local tax, which we have been strong on."

Mr Browne said he believed his own party's campaign had strengthened support in the constituency and was already looking forward to a more successful campaign in the next General Election.