Residents of Sedgefield borough's own White House will not be offering a warm welcome to the President.

Opened in 1967, the White House Sheltered Accommodation, in Aycliffe Village, is home to 25 pensioners.

There seems to be little excitement about the arrival of the worlds' most powerful man today. Instead, talk is mainly of their Christmas party on December 4.

"If George Bush walked in here, I think we'd turn our backs on him," said 88-year-old Second World War veteran Frank Hudson.

"Bush and Blair sent us into an unjust conflict. If they had seen the things I saw during six years with the Royal Artillery, they'd realise that there is no such thing as a good reason for war.

"It does no one any good, but they didn't want to listen to those of us who know."

Widow Eleanor Mitchell, 95, a White House resident for eight years, said: "I heard about his visit on the news and I think it's an almighty waste of taxpayers' money.

"It's not going to do Bush any good coming to this region because there's still a lot of bad feeling about the war.

"It was an unjust war and there is a great deal of bad feeling about it among our generation. Bush did the wrong thing and unfortunately he had too much influence over Tony Blair.

"My late husband, Robert, served during the Second World War and my son, Barrie, saw action in Korea while on his National Service. If either of them were here today they'd think the same as me - and that is that people were killed for nothing and more people are still being killed.

"If Bush walks in here on Friday, I think I'd walk out. They'd not be many 'how-do-you-dos' coming from here."

One of 22 CareLink sheltered home schemes within Sedgefield borough, the White House is not on the Bush agenda today.

Neither is a similar scheme in Trimdon, Tony Blair's constituency home.

"I don't think the politicians really care about us really. This whole thing has just been pomp and ceremony and a waste of time and money," said Ellen Lax, 85, a White House resident since 1981.

"I've yet to hear anyone here talk about this visit in a positive way."