A CAMPAIGN by the father of a murdered Red Cap to unseat the Prime Minister from his North-East constituency won more celebrity backing at the weekend.

Best-selling author Frederick Forsyth and classical guitarist John Williams have pledged their support for Reg Keys' battle against Tony Blair.

Mr Forsyth, who laid flowers on the Sedgefield Village war memorial on Saturday, said: "Reg Keys and the people of Sedgefield can prevent Blair returning to power.

"I am making a direct appeal to the voters of Sedgefield to vote for Reg Keys, a decent, honest man whose son was killed for a tissue of lies."

And guitarist John Williams said: "If I could vote here in Sedgefield it would be a simple choice - send Reg Keys in by the front door. And I would add, thank you, Reg, from the bottom of my heart for restoring some dignity, honour and hope when we all desperately need it."

A host of well-known anti-war figures have already backed Mr Keys - whose son Lance Corporal Tom Keys, 20, was killed while serving as a military policeman in Iraq.

Supporters include Roxy Music star Brian Eno, poet Benjamin Zephaniah, actor David Soul, science academic Richard Dawkins, war correspondent and former independent MP for Tatton, Martin Bell, and Scottish National Party leader Alex Salmond.

He has even won support from fellow Sedgefield candidates Cherri Blairout-Gilham and Terry Pattinson, of Senior Citizens Party, who said: "If the people of Sedgefield do not choose me, I would urge them to vote for Mr Keys."

Fifteen candidates are standing in the Sedgefield Constituency for the General Election on Thursday.

They are: Berony Anne Abraham (Independent), John Bradfield Barker (Independent), Anthony Charles Lynton Blair (Labour Party), Cherri Blairout-Gilham (Pensioners Party), Julian Fraser Brennan (Independent), William John Brown (UKIP), Robert Woodthorpe Browne (Liberal Democrats), Jonathan McQueen Cockburn (The Blair Must Go Party); Mark Neville Farrell (National Front Britain For The British), Helen John (Independent), Reginald Thomas Keys (Independent), Alan John Lockwood (Conservative Party), Fiona Christina Luckhurst-Matthews (Veritas), Terence William Pattinson (Senior Citizens Party), Melodie Elizabeth Staniforth (The Official Monster Raving Loony Party).