Sedgefield was brought to a standstill when US President George Bush dropped in for a pub lunch.

Last Friday - the final day of his UK state visit - the President visited Sedgefield village, the heart of Prime Minister Tony Blair's constituency.

On a cold winter's day, residents lined one side of the High Street to welcome Mr Bush and hoped to catch a glimpse of him on an historic days.

Alan Heyhurst, 68, said: "I think Mr Bush's visit is great. It's good for the area and it is amazing to think he is visiting my village. If the Americans hadn't been our friends in the past we would have been left up the creek without a paddle."

On the opposite side of the road, about 300 anti-war protesters gathered on the village green to make their views heard. Many of them demonstrating against Mr Bush and Mr Blair were from outside the North-East but some local factions did turn out including members of the group Sedgefield Against War.

A large police presence ensured that everything remained under control.

Air Force One, carrying the President and the First Lady touched down at Teesside airport just before 11.30am. The couple were then transported to Mr Blair's Myrobella home in Trimdon via helicopter.

After a short visit, Mr Bush and Mr Blair were transferred to the Prime Minister's local pub, the Dun Cow, in Sedgefield, via a motorcade on closed back roads which avoided the village's High Street.

The strict security measures meant that supporters and protestors were kept a few hundred yards back from the pub.

Disappointment reigned on the faces of residents when they were prevented from seeing the two world leaders arrive for lunch, particularly after their lives had been disrupted for more than 24 hours with severe parking restrictions and road closures.

Colin Johnson, 24, said: "It was strange to think the American president was in my village and it's impressive to think he visited another part of the country other than London.

"But I was very disappointed when he didn't even drive through the main street even though this is such a small village and the security was so tight.

"Protestors had travelled from outside the village and were chanting and saying they didn't want him in the village, yet, there was at least a couple of hundred people who might not agree with war but wanted to see the president."

Nine-year-old Timothy Jasper was also upset and annoyed not to see Mr Bush after his school bus to St William's School in Trimdon was cancelled due to security.

Resident Eamonn Murtagh, originally from Ireland, said that he felt Mr Bush and Mr Blair had rushed into war with Iraq and were wrong to do it without the support of the United Nations.

"This was the first state visit by a president since 1918 and it's obviously being used as part of an election campaign. We should listen to people and let them put their grievances forward," he said.

The protestors had the use of loud speaker equipment and there was intermittent chanting but when the main target failed to show it fell quiet and with something of an anti-climax the village fell peaceful again.

However, about 80 invited and carefully vetted guest crammed into the Dun Cow for lunch with Mr Bush.

They started with cream of leek and potato soup, followed by fish and chips with mushy peas, and dessert was lemon crme brulee, but by then the President was too full.

All had soft drinks, with Mr Bush on non-alcoholic lager. Laura Bush and Cherie Blair enjoyed Appletise while Mr Blair had a diet Coke.

After lunch, the party paid a visit to Sedgefield Community College. Youngsters jostled for position at the windows trying to see the President, who enjoyed watching a demonstration of football skills.

It was then time for Mr and Mrs Bush to be transported back to Teesside airport and by 4.02 the President's Boeing 747 was heading for the United States.

l Letters to the Editor: page 2