PARENTS and children were set to boycott Condoleezza Rice's visit to Blackburn today by forming an anti-war picket line outside Pleckgate High School.

Around 50 parents yesterday demanded that headteacher Robin Campbell, withdraw the invitation for the US Secretary of State to look round the school.

Led by Hanif Duhwala and members of the Stop the War Coalition, the crowd vowed to withdraw their own children and encourage others to do the same if Mr Campbell said the visit would go ahead.

They also accused Mr Campbell of withholding the identity of the high profile visitor due to visit the school until the last minute to prevent parents from protesting.

Around 70 per cent of the pupils at Pleckgate are Muslim and some parents are furious that they were not consulted about the visit of someone they blame for the war in Iraq.

Mr Campbell said: "We were requested by Jack Straw to host this visit for himself and a foreign dignitary and for a long time, for security reasons, we were kept into the dark about who that was.

"We felt privileged that we were deemed to be a school worthy of such a visit and we are celebrating this visit.

"We understand some parents' concerns and they have had their chance to put forward their views, we have listened and they have listened to ours.

"A lot of other parents are fully behind the visit. In terms of security we have been assured that the children's safety is paramount and that every possible precaution to protect them has been taken.

"Part of what we do is educate our youngsters in citizenship and teach them about democracy."

But Mr Duhwala said: "Our children will not be at Pleckgate today and we will explain to them why.

"We will tell them that they are paying their respects to the thousands of school children who have lost their lives in Iraq as a result of this American war.

"We are also standing doing this in solidarity for all those British children who are the orphans of British soldiers.

"There are some actions in the name of Islam that you cannot do everyday and we may not get a chance in our own lifetimes to protest in front of such a controversial and influential person."

A protest was also held by parents outside Lammack Primary School, Blackburn, yesterday afternoon, after they discovered their children were being taken on a "secret trip" to meet Miss Rice.

One mother said: "We know nothing about it and our permission has not been given for them to go."