SIX months after Allied forces invaded Iraq, opinion is still split as to whether the war was justified.

The furore over weapons of mass destruction, which are still to be found, and the inquiry into the death of the weapons inspector Dr David Kelly made sure the war stayed at the front of the summer news agenda. Despite a plea from Prime Minister Tony Blair and Foreign Secretary Jack Straw at the Labour party conference this week, the country and East Lancashire remain divided. DANNY BRIERLEY reports.

BLACKBURN MP Jack Straw admitted this week that conditions in Iraq had deteriorated but insisted the removal of Saddam Hussein provided sufficient justification for the conflict.

The Foreign Secretary told the Labour conference in Bournemouth that although weapons of mass destruction had still not been found, failure to act would have had serious consequences. The United Nations would, he said, be weakened and Saddam's reign extended.

Although Blackburn councillor Patricia McFall backed Mr Straw when she spoke at the conference, divisions remain within his constituency party.

Leader of the Blackburn Labour Group at Blackburn Town Hall, Dave Harling, said: "The group were against the war before the invasion and we have not discussed it subsequently, so I think it would be fair to say our position has not changed.

"There can be no compromise. You are either for the war or against the war. I would share some of the sentiments about backing the Labour Party, but I still believe the decision to go to war was wrong."

Housewife Marion Smith led a campaign to have the Union Jack flown over town halls in Burnley and her home town Padiham in support of British forces.

Marion's son James served in Iraq with the Royal Engineers and wrote to her to say soldiers were frustrated by the lack of public support for the war. She said she initially supported the Government's stance but was now having doubts.

She added: "The war hasn't got us very far. Saddam needed to be ousted but Iraq seems to be in a worse state than it was before. Soldiers are still being killed and my son said he would not like to go back. It could end up like another Northern Ireland out in Iraq with our soldiers stuck there for years."

Across East Lancashire Muslims voiced their anger at the prospect of a conflict in the Middle East. The Foreign Secretary said he was given one of the biggest grillings of his political career when he met members of the Lancashire Council of Mosques in March.

Secretary of the council Salim Mulla said: "I think, generally, there were very strong feelings from the Muslim community. One of the main reasons was that war always brings destruction." Mr Mulla, who is also a Labour councillor for the Queens Park ward in Blackburn, believes the party is likely to suffer at the ballot box during the next round of local elections in May.

He added: "There was a bad regime in Iraq but there were other ways Saddam could have been ousted. The government has to justify it because that's their job. I would still say there are people who will not vote Labour at the elections because of the war."

Mr Straw and his cabinet colleagues faced an uphill struggle when trying to convince the public of the need to go to war in Iraq. Six months on and the struggle does not appear to be getting any easier, despite support from some quarters.