A DAY of protest in Blackburn ended in silence last night as anti-war campaigners staged a candlelit vigil outside the cathedral at dusk.

Just minutes earlier, a 150-strong crowd outside the town hall whistled and cheered as speakers called for Blackburn MP and Foreign Secretary Jack Straw to resign.

A group of all ages, colours and religions gathered outside the town hall at 6pm amid a visible police presence as part of a Stop The War Coalition protest.

Blackburn with Darwen coalition chairman George Davies told the crowd: "The only way we can support our troops is to call for them to be brought home.

"Jack, we will never forget that you were the foreign secretary, our MP, who launched a war of genocide. Resign."

Lib Dem Councillor Imtiaz Patel said: "What happens in Blackburn is very important and today has sent a strong message to our MP."

Blackburn College lecturer Phil Webster said a number of lecturers had staged a walkout earlier in the day, and he was proud the students had staged their own separate event.

One of those students, 16-year-old Mark Myers, of Rishton, took the microphone and said: "I marched today because I believe the war is wrong."

After the 45-minute long rally, a smaller crowd lit candles outside the cathedral and stood silently around a banner proclaiming "sorrow and solidarity" for the people of Iraq.

Inspector Judith Finney, who led policing of the evening's events, said: "I'm very pleased. It all went very peacefully."

The force is not planning to take any action against schools and colleges who allowed their students to take part in marches throughout the day.

Youngsters protested all day in Blackburn town centre and outside Jack Straw's Blackburn office.