ANTI-WAR protestors stormed the Labour Party's northern headquarters yesterday as Prime Minister Tony Blair visited the region.

About 30 demonstrators filled the lobby of the building in North Shields, North Tyneside, protesting against the Government's stance on Iraq.

The group took over the building at 10am after asking for information on Labour Party membership.

As the electronic doors swung open, the protestors entered the first and second floor offices and handed out leaflets, saying: "Don't be alarmed, this is a peaceful protest."

The protest was planned a week ago when the group got together and decided that they needed to do something to get the message across to Mr Blair.

Police were called to the Labour Party offices, in Bedford Street, 30 minutes after the group entered the building, which handles calls from prospective Labour Party members.

The protestors were allowed to stay for another hour before being asked to leave.

No arrests were made.

The protest came less than 24 hours after Mr Blair faced tough questioning from members of the public during a special Newsnight programme, filmed in Gateshead.

Earlier yesterday, the Prime Minister was soundly beaten at bowls by a special Olympian who declared Mr Blair's efforts as "rubbish".

A gentile game of carpet bowls during a visit to Hartlepool's Belle Vue sports and community centre wasn't as dramatic as Sir Francis Drake's famous refusal to stop playing as the Spanish Armada approached. But onlookers couldn't help making the comparisons anyway.

To yesterday's victor however, Mr Blair was a valiant loser.

"He was rubbish," said opponent Alan Trundley 47. "He's not as good as other people I play - but he was very nice to us all."

The Prime Minister struggled to keep his bowl on the mat and after his third attempt shot past the white jack, he sighed: "This is definitely not my game."

Mr Trundley, who represented the North-East in the National Special Olympics, in Cardiff, has been playing bowls for years and now competes in a mainstream local league.

Afterwards, Hartlepool's Labour MP Peter Mandelson commiserated with the Premier as he opened the £1.7m renovation to the Belle Vue centre, saying it was a good job he was running the country and not attempting to become a carpet bowls champion.

Mr Blair later opened a community centre in South Hetton. The Prime Minister took a tour of facilities, including another indoor carpet bowling green, a snooker and pool room, a gym and an IT facility.

Chatting to people using the computers, he said: "I'm hopeless with this stuff. But Cherie's absolutely brilliant at it."

He also heard Broughton Junior Brass Band play a tune called Tango Takeaway, and chatted to the musicians.

Opening the centre, built on the site of a 19th Century miners' institute, he paid tribute to former workers at the colliery, which closed in 1982, many of whom were in attendance.

He said the new centre would help keep alive the "strong values" of the former pit village.

Afterwards, the Prime Minister paid a glowing tribute to a North-East school when he presented pupils and staff with an award.

Mr Blair told Hurworth Comprehensive School, near Darlington, that it was one of the "most improving schools in the whole of the country".

"That takes a tremendous commitment from the pupils and the parents, and a very special commitment from the staff," he said.

He presented the school with a Healthy Schools Award, before being given his own certificate by 11-year-old pupil Tiffany Armstrong.

Afterwards, Mr Blair chatted to pupils, including head boy and girl Sacha Buckley and Yousef Abdo.

"He asked us what we were doing when we leave and gave us some good advice," said Yousef, 16. "It was a brilliant day."

The school is the third in Darlington to pick up the Healthy Schools Award. It is given for excellent personal and social development programmes, including sex education, anti-bullying schemes, charity fundraising and drugs awareness