HUNDREDS of anti-war demonstrators are planning to take their protest to the heart of Tony Blair's Sedgefield constituency today.

Moving at the pace of a funeral cortege, hundreds of cars will travel in a bumper to bumper cavalcade across Teesside into Sedgefield for a mass rally.

Increasing the Sedgefield MP's embarrassment, at least one rebel Labour MP is expected to make a speech to a lunchtime rally in Fishburn, condemning the Bush-Blair joint decision to go to war in Iraq without a second UN resolution.

Hundreds more people from the North-East are expected to take part in a repeat of the recent massive anti-war demonstration in London.

Explaining the reasons for Saturday's cavalcade, Sarfraz Mian, one of the organisers, said: "What we are trying to do here is give people who can't go down to London an opportunity to make their voices heard locally. The fact that the cavalcade is going to Sedgefield makes it even more poignant.

"Tony Blair had huge support in the North-East because he was seen as someone representing the North-East. Some very good things have been done, but, unfortunately, the legacy he is going to leave behind is as a Prime Minister who took his country into a pre-emptive war,'' said Mr Mian, a spokesman for the Teesside Against the War movement.

Police are warning drivers to expect long delays and to use alternative routes if possible.

North Yorkshire Police are preparing for a large demonstration at the RAF base at Menwith Hill, near Harrogate, today.

Deputy Chief Constable Peter Walker said: "We expect a major demonstration, and we have been preparing appropriate policing plans for some time."

He said: "We want a peaceful demonstration, free of injury to individuals or damage to property - the achievement of that is our aim."

There could be some unspecified "spontaneous action" in York tomorrow, said a spokesman for York Against the War.

Tyneside Stop the War Coalition is holding a stall and poetry readings below the Monument at the top of Grey Street, Newcastle, today. Members of the movement will join the Teesside cavalcade while coaches will be taking more to join the demonstration in London, later today.

22/03/2003