FEWER than 20 students and school pupils kept up an anti-war protest in one city yesterday.

Similar demonstrations on the day hostilities broke out attracted several hundred teenage protestors in Durham.

But less than a week into the conflict, a rally staged outside County Hall attracted little more than a dozen sixth-formers from local schools and members of Durham University Social Forum.

They mounted banners saying: "Support British Troops by Bringing Them Home", "No British Troops for US Interests" and "Not in My Name Mr Blair".

The protestors received a mixture of support and opposition from motorists.

Undeterred, organiser Gareth Milner and a few fellow protesters moved their protest to Durham Market Place.

The Framwellgate School sixth-former, who said he had not expected massive interest, said: "We realise it would never stop the war, but if everyone just laid down and did nothing, nothing would ever get done."

26/03/2003