SPONTANEOUS anti-war protests took place in Malvern yesterday after the first bombs dropped on Iraq.

Children from Dyson Perrins High School walked out between classes for a morning protest in Malvern Link and at 6pm a demonstration was organised by the Stop the War Coalition at Belle Vue Terrace.

Harper's Bazaar, in Malvern Link, said inquiries had been made about gas masks and portable stoves and Waitrose reported slightly increased sales of bottled water, canned meat and fish, but no panic buying.

Yesterday evening's protest was due to be followed by the first meeting of the Malvern branch of the Stop the War Coalition at the Foley Arms Hotel.

Planning to join the evening protest was Eileen Richardson of Malvern Justice and Peace Group. She said failure of previous protests to stop the war should not put people off demonstrating against it.

"We live in a democracy and it's all part of being a responsible citizen," she said.

At around 10am ten Dyson pupils, aged between 12 and 16, held up anti-war placards at motorists driving through Malvern Link.

Among them was 14-year-old Lauren Payne, who said: "We're just trying to get our point across that our opinions count. Teenagers just like us are going to die in Iraq."

The pupils returned to school after their headteacher, Peter Buchanan, visited them at 12.30pm.

He said afterwards: "Whatever I thought about their truancy, I felt their peaceful protest showed great maturity."

Chase pupils stayed in school after headteacher Kevin Peck urged them to write to the Prime Minister instead.

Mr Peck said: "We've tried to say we appreciate their views - we feel the same way ourselves.

"But it isn't in their interests to be leaving the school. We've told them to find other ways of airing their views - letters to MPs and the Prime Minister, for example."

Sean Kirtley, father of two Chase pupils, said while he was not encouraging his sons to stage any further walkouts he and a fellow protester were planning to hand out leaflets in Great Malvern about the use of depleted uranium in British and US missiles.