STREET protests and school walkouts are the only way teenagers can have their opinions about the war in Iraq heard say pupils at Pershore High School.

The pupils who took part in a sit-in on the school field said they had to show their strength of feeling as they felt they were being ignored.

The Evening News spoke to Year 10 pupils to find out why they joined forces with other youngsters across Worcestershire.

"Some people have been patronising," said 15-year-old Nimneh Hyde.

"They say that we're too young to have views. The media has been politicising young people and we can make our own decisions from that.

"We're going to carry on protesting, even though it won't make a difference. It will voice our opinion."

Some of the teenagers had taken part in the protests in Worcester and Birmingham as well as joining 200 of their classmates in the field sit-in.

There was anger that UK troops had joined US forces in bombing Iraq in the early hours of Wednesday, March 19.

"They could have found a better way to do it," said 15-year-old Joe Davies.

"They were looking for weapons of mass destruction, then within four weeks of mentioning it war had started. There wasn't enough waiting.

Worry for future

"It's worrying for the future. If he can go to war without a resolution then what stops him invading Saudi Arabia or Afghanistan which houses terrorists like al-Qaida?"

But 15-year-old Matt Williams said anti-war protesters had taken their time to find their voice.

"I can't see how it makes sense that when he was killing his own people they weren't protesting," he said.

"But now, when a war has started to help them, people are protesting.

"You see a lot of people protesting because it's something to do."