HUNDREDS of people from the North-East are joining an anti-war rally against action in Iraq.

The rally, being held today in central London, is expected to draw as many as 100,000 protestors.

Organisers the Stop The War Coalition and the Muslim Association of Britain said the demonstration could be the biggest of its kind in Western Europe for more than 30 years.

Several groups from the region, including representatives from Teesside Against The War, the North-East Refugee Service, the Teesside Muslim Cultural Forum and CND, will be present.

Those taking part say coaches, buses and trains have been booked with some beginning their journeys to the capital as early as 5am.

The rally starts at 12.30pm at Victoria Embankment and passes Downing Street before ending up in Hyde Park at 3pm.

Speakers are expected to include former United Nations weapons inspector Scott Ritter and Labour stalwart Tony Benn.

Sarfraz Mian, of the Teesside Muslim Cultural Forum, said: "There is a huge groundswell of opinion that the actions being considered by President Bush and Prime Minister Blair are quite appalling.

"To charge in gung-ho, without considering all the options available that could be pursued through the UN, is something that many people are against."

Mr Mian said that the Government dossier presented in support of action against Saddam Hussein was "old news".

University lecturer Pete Smith, chairman of Teesside Against The War, said he believed that at least 500 people were travelling from the Middlesbrough, Darlington and Stockton areas to the rally.

He said: "I have never seen so many angry people worried about the impact that this war could have.

"It seems already to be set in stone that we will be at war in January."

A spokesman for the Stop The War Coalition said: "Nothing we have seen from Bush or Blair remotely justifies the inevitable loss of tens of thousands of lives.

"If we don't stop this war now, we could be ushering in a long period of terrible violence in many parts of the world.