Hundreds of civilians will be killed before one of Bin Laden's men has been reached

Zakir Patel Protester

In the event the drizzle held off and 500 to 600 - mainly from the town's Muslim community of 20,000 or so - heard several speakers.

A man from the Quakers, a grocer from Preston and a woman from Bolton make the same basic point; that Mr Straw - along with Tony Blair and George Bush - should stop the war on the Taleban.

One of the organisers, Zakir Patel - a hospital doctor - spoke for them all.

"I do a normal job, I'm not from a political society. There's diplomatic ways of sorting this out.

"There are terrorists all over the world - we sort these problems out diplomatically. Bombing a country; what's it going to do ?

"Hundreds of civilians will be killed before one of Bin Laden's men has been reached.

"In this country, if somebody murders someone, we take them to court and send them to jail. We don't burn their house or kill their family. So why do it in Afghanistan ?"

Peaceful protest

The demonstration was peaceful. Children held homemade banners calling for an end to bombing.

But this was an eclectic gathering. Mention of Hiroshima, Vietnam and Iraq - and the suggestion that America was the world's biggest terrorist - drew the day's biggest cheers. Mention of the local MP the loudest boos.

A group called 'The Global Truth' handed out leaflets telling Muslims of their duty to support the Taleban.

Promises were made to meet again next weekend in neighbouring towns - Bolton and Preston.

There was even talk of 100,000 people massing in Manchester.

But many more shoppers will have to be moved to manage that.