A PETITE paramedic in the frontline of the war with Iraq has phoned her East Lancashire home to say she is safe and well.

Aly-Joy Haworth, 18, who is just 4ft 10ins, is an army paramedic and was despatched to the Middle East before war broke out.

The former pupil of St Augustine's RC High School, Billington, joined the 16th Corp Support Medic Regiment last year.

Mum Stephanie, 50, of James Street, Great Harwood, is an ardent anti-war activist and addressed an anti-war rally outside Blackburn Town Hall on Saturday.

And she said today she had heard from Aly-Joy, who was safe and well, and on her way to war-torn Baghdad.

Stephanie, a former Labour Party activist, has marched many times in protest against the war and used a picture of Aly-Joy dressed in her army uniform on her Stop the War placard.

Stephenie and representatives of the Blackburn Muslim Council addressed a 100-strong crowd at Saturday's demonstration.

She said: "There was not as good a turnout as we would have hoped. Everyone thinks the war is now over with, but it's not. It won't be over until all the troops are home.

"I've heard from Aly-Joy and she is safe and well. She has been stationed in Ramala, but is due to go to Baghdad any day. She said she's seen some terrible things, particularly injured children.

"We will keep holding the peace rallies until all the troops are home. Then we can say the war is over, not before."