Gulf mum plea

Mum-of-three Jennifer Poyner has been a nurse in the Territorial Army for 16 years, but this is the first time she has been called up for active service.

Jennifer, a nurse with the 202 Field Officers reservist unit of the Royal Army Medical Corps, said goodbye to her children, seven-year-old Mary-Anne, nine-year-old David, and 12-year-old Kenneth, and husband Alan, on Thursday.

Now her family is appealing for the public to support Jennifer and her colleagues - and to send them messages of support via the Ministry of Defence's E-bluey postal system.

They are worried about the effect anti-war protests will have on troops as they prepare themselves for war.

"The British public don't seem to be behind them and that's what worries me from the side of the troops," said Mr Poyner, at the family home in Peterborough Close, Ronskwood.

"It's out of their control, and knowing the people they serve aren't behind them won't help morale.

"At the end of the day they're only doing their job. They haven't chosen this war."

Anyone can send a short three-line email message to the armed forces through the MOD's E-bluey system. The messages are then printed out and delivered to troops in the field.

As well as the amusing, heart-rending and anxious messages from loved ones, the message board contains many messages of support - but most of these are from Americans, particularly grateful New Yorkers.

Mr Poyner says he hopes the city will back his wife and the rest of the Gulf troops by adding their support.

"We're not sure where she is out there, but we know things will get to her through the E-bluey system. The kids will be using it quite a lot," said Mr Poyner.

"She rang us just before she flew out. It wasn't too tearful. We went through that when she left to join her unit.

"The hardest time will be when the conflict starts. I hope this country can unite behind them."

To send a message to troops already in The Gulf visit the E-bluey bulletin board at www.bfpo.org.uk.

Do you know anyone already in The Gulf? Is your son or daughter preparing to fight with the Army, Navy or RAF? The Evening News wants to hear from you on 01905 74 22 44.

Don't fight, Blair is told

THE anti-war message has gone out across the Faithful City, with almost 200 people gathering to express their opposition to war with Iraq.

Whistles, drums and chanting accompanied the protesters as they marched through the city centre on Saturday, rallied to the cause by the Worcester Stop the War Coalition.

Shoppers stopped and stared as the crowd, made up of children, teenagers, parents and grandparents, thronged past, waving placards declaring No Blood for Oil and This War is Breeding Terrorism.

After marching down High Street, around Angel Place, back up Broad Street and along The Shambles, the protesters gathered at the Guildhall.

Individual protesters were able to have their say during an open-microphone session.

Mum-of-two, Ruth Holland, who was marching with Joshua, aged 10, and Emily, eight, said that, as a mother, she could not agree with the bombing of women and children.

"I'm a mother, the same as the mothers in Iraq. We're no different," said Mrs Holland, of Warndon Villages, Worcester.

"They're just trying to live a normal life and bring their children up - do the best they can, the same as all of us.

"We don't have the right to go and destroy that for no apparent reason."

Sahail Ferraz, 23, said that while he thought Saddam Hussein "had to go", war was not the answer.

"We do hate Saddam Hussein but the way they're doing it will cause no distress or grief to him," said Mr Ferraz, a Muslim who worships at the Tallow Hill Mosque, in Worcester.

He was one of about 10 Muslims at the protest, some of who were members of the Worcester Muslim Association.

"Saddam Hussein must face the courts for the crimes he has committed," continued Mr Ferraz, who said he was "Worcester born and bred".

Quakers Mary Speechley, 77, from Kempsey, and her friend, Mavis Horton, 74, from Eckington, near Pershore, were at the rally to protest against a war they believed is "illegal and unnecessary".

"It's also a very dangerous war, in terms of the possible after-effects," said Mrs Speechley, a widow. "We did live through a big war - I've heard bombs coming down and it's not nice."

Christine Barnes, of St John's, was marching with her 20-month-old granddaughter, Lucca.

"I want a safe and peaceful future for this little one. Bombing Iraq wouldn't provide that. It will make it worse and lead to more counter-attacks against us," she said.

Threat to quit Labour

A FORMER Labour Parliamentary candidate has threatened to resign from the party if war goes ahead without UN backing.

David Bannister, who was the Labour candidate for Mid-Worcestershire in the June 2001 election, said he was "likely" to resign over the issue.

He challenged Worcester MP Mike Foster, and other Labour Party members, to "make their views clear".

"I appreciate Mike Foster's backed Tony Blair up to now," he said.

"But I want to know, and the people of Worcester want to know, if Tony Blair goes to war without the backing of the UN, whether then he would back Tony Blair, or the people of Worcester."

Mr Bannister, who was a city councillor for St Nicholas ward from 1998 to 2002, said he thought Worcester people were against war with Iraq without UN backing.

"The circumstances are about to change, and the people of Worcester need to know where their MP stands."

Mr Bannister said he would resign from the Labour Party if he felt its MPs were supporting an action not backed by the British people and by the UN.

If he did resign, he would be the second Labour Party member to do so over the issue of war with Iraq.

On Saturday, the Evening News reported the resignation of Labour councillor Ray Turner, of St Nicholas ward, on the grounds that he felt there was "no justification" for war with Iraq.

"Blair came to power promising to govern for the many not the few," continued Mr Bannister.

"He's now refusing to listen to the many. He's threatening action he knows to be contrary to international law. It's been spelt out to him by many, including Clare Short.