Thousands of North-East anti-war supporters helped to make British history on Saturday. Liz Lamb reports

UNITED in their stance, supporters from every corner of the North joined together at the weekend to demonstrate one vision.

The collective knew no boundaries. Families, students, professionals and pensioners had risen early from their beds to stand alongside each other in London and tell their Prime Minister that war was not the answer.

Supporters transcended every race, religion and nationality, but their vision of peace was the same.

The coaches that left Sunderland and Durham were filled with supporters aged from 16 to 75. Many had never marched before but felt their voices should be heard.

"We cover the whole spectrum of society, but it reflects the nation", said organiser Dennis McDonald.

In Darlington, supporters and members of Darlington for Peace boarded the buses from Bishop Auckland and Sedgefield at about 6.30am.

Many were seasoned protestors, for others it was their first march. Their opinions were divided on whether the protest would make a difference but they knew they had to march all the same.

Organiser John Gilmore, of the Stop the War Coalition, handed out protest posters to be taped to the bus windows.

Richard Wanless, of Fishburn, County Durham, joined other members of the Prime Minister's Sedgefield constituency in voicing his feelings.

A member of Sedgefield Against War, he said: "Tony Blair has lost total control. But he could yet be a hero. He could retain his leadership if he ignores Bush and says Britain won't join up."

However, politics student Hussain Ismail, of York, thought this was the end for Tony Blair.

"I think he is politically finished," he said. "This is because the people of this country do not seem able to get him to change his mind."

It was 1pm before the Darlington delegation finally got to tread the streets of London. Huge queues into the city had resulted in them missing the start of the march, from Gower Street, but they were not despondent.

As they joined protestors walking towards Hyde Park, they held their banners aloft, proud that the North-East voice could be heard.

The atmosphere was electric. Banners displaying Bush as a murderer were displayed alongside those of Blair with a tea cup on his head. "Make Tea Not War" it declared.

Protestors chanted "Who Let the Dogs Out," as bemused police looked on.

Mingling with students and members of the Islamic community, Desmond Smith joined in with the chants.

One of 1,200 anti-war supporters who had travelled from York, he said people wanted to be consulted about the American bases in the North, at Menwith Hill, near Harrogate and Fylingdales, North Yorkshire.

"They are both within 30 miles of large sectors of the population. If there is a war, these are going to be targets for terrorist attacks but nobody has consulted us," he said.

17/02/2003