NORTH-East fuel protestors rolled their convoy out of London last night, leaving a stark message for Tony Blair that they would be back if he did not meet their demands.

Hundreds of lorry drivers, farmers and motorists disillusioned with the Government, made the long journey south in protest over rising fuel prices.

About 350 lorries were driven into the capital with their horns blaring. Protestors held a rally at Hyde Park before taking their message direct to Number 10.

David Wox of Stannington, Northumberland, described the atmosphere as "electric". He said protestors were cheered on by pensioners, who have endured their own personal battle with the Government in recent months.

He dismissed police estimates of the number of vehicles present, saying there was in excess of 500 trucks, tractors and other modes of transport, including a combine harvester.

He said: "It has been a tremendous day. The turnout was good with over 400 marching on Downing Street.

"The atmosphere has been electric with wagons blowing air horns before we went up to Speakers' Corner."

Andrew Spence, leader of the so-called Jarrow Crusade 2000 convoy which left the North-East four days ago, was given a hero's welcome as he arrived for the demonstration.

Meanwhile in Scotland, a slow-moving convoy wound its way through the centre of Edinburgh to hand in about 50 letters of protest to the Scottish Parliament.

The protests marked the 60-day deadline after the end of the blockade of fuel facilities that almost brought Britain to its knees.

Lorry drivers at the event came under fire from several quarters, including green campaigners, who staged a counter-protest in London.

But speakers attacked the Government and complained of being treated as "cash cows".

One of London's main arteries, the A40 Westway, spent the day as a giant lorry park as police closed the inbound carriageway to make space for protestors' vehicles.

The move caused long tailbacks, and forced other drivers to find alternative routes into the city centre.

After the rally, a six-strong delegation drove to 10 Downing Street in a harvester and a tractor towing a trailer with a coffin draped in the Union flag.

They delivered a wreath representing the "death"of the farming and haulage industries, three P45 forms, and letters of protest.

The Government sought to head off criticism by holding a meeting with the Road Haulage Forum and announcing details of new rebates worth up to £4,625 for haulage operators