FOUR students have walked out of a top county school in protest at the impending war against Iraq.

Brothers Jack and Rowan Kirtley left The Chase High School, Malvern, with friend Rocky Lashley shortly after 9am yesterday and took to the streets of Worcester to hand out anti-war leaflets. Fellow student Pete Symmonds joined them later.

Their protest came 24 hours before today's planned anti-war demonstration on the streets of Malvern.

The teenagers, who signed the school's day-register and then walked out, hope their actions will inspire others to raise their voices against war.

"It felt strange when we just signed and left, but there was an adrenaline rush because we knew we'd done the right thing," said 14-year-old Jack.

"We had to do something. We're not trying to be political. It's purely the idea of war that motivated us."

The protest had been discussed for a month, but the three decided to act after hearing that school students elsewhere in the country had protested.

"Thousands of people could be slaughtered in Iraq if we go to war," said Jack. "I didn't want to just sit and work in school as though there was nothing wrong."

All four, who live in Malvern, travelled to Worcester to hand out home-made Stop The War leaflets to shoppers, outside the CrownGate Shopping Centre, in Broad Street.

"Friday's one of the busiest days so we could give leaflets to more people," said 15-year-old Rowan. "It's a one-off, but we hope people will take notice."

Rocky, aged 15, and Pete, 16 - whose parents backed their sons - also want others to take up the cause.

"We feel that we've achieved something and hope that others do the same," Rocky said.

Sean Kirtley, Jack and Rowan's father, supported their actions in a letter he wrote excusing them from school.

The walkout comes only days after education chiefs announced that parents of pupils who play truant because of war protests risk punishment themselves.

"I supported them because people their age could very soon be under attack in Iraq," said Mr Kirtley.

n Continued on P2

From P1 / n "They both remember the first Gulf War and are against the same kind of suffering again."

The Chase headteacher, Kevin Peck, sympathised with the teenagers' feelings but emphasised it was against regulations.

"They've gone about it the wrong way," he said. "The rules don't allow people to leave school for such a purpose and, therefore, it's truancy."

Mr Peck said a letter would be sent to their parents, but that it would be counter-productive to seek to punish them.

Anti-war demonstrations in the region have included a 350-strong student rally from Queensbridge School, in Kings Heath, on Wednesday, and today's gathering in Malvern at the West Midlands Labour Party's regional conference.

Next week will see a series of protests in Worcester, including a Stop War meeting in Pump Street on Thursday, and a demonstration in the Guildhall at 11am next Saturday.