THE terrorists responsible for planning the attacks on New York and Washington must be tracked down and brought to justice, Pendle MP Gordon Prentice will tell a meeting of his constituency party in Nelson tonight.

But he will say there must be evidence, an audit trail, linking the chief suspect Osama Bin Laden and Afghanistan's rulers, the Taliban, to the outrage.

Crucially, the lives of the innocent must be protected, Mr Prentice will tell the meeting.

Mr Prentice met Prime Minister Tony Blair on Monday.

Back in Nelson the Pendle MP said: "He recognised the importance of having evidence before we proceed.

"If it is not there, an attack on Afghanistan will be wholly counter productive.

"There will be major implications for Pakistan too, the country has already taken in more than two million Afghan refugees."

Mr Prentice condemned the Taliban regime as "completely odious."

Girls and women were denied education and were not allowed to work. Minorities were forced to wear badges, there were public executions and mutilations.

He added: "Women who, for example, inadvertently expose their ankles in public are beaten up.

"Magazines are not allowed and neither is television.

"Taliban leaders ordered the destruction of priceless historic artefacts.

"It is a woeful record."