Protesters demand Iraq inquiry

Several hundred protesters gathered in central London

About 200 protesters gathered in London on Saturday to demand a public inquiry into why the UK went to war in Iraq.

Campaigners including the Stop the War Coalition, CND and the Muslim Association of Britain converged on Downing Street from midday.

A copy of the Hutton report into the death of government scientist Dr David Kelly was also burned.

CND chairman Kate Hudson said the Hutton inquiry was no substitute for an inquiry into the war.

She said: "We demand a full public inquiry on why we went to war, the decision making and the intelligence gathering.

"Even the US administration is raising this issue now."

The protest comes after Downing Street said it would wait and see whether the Iraq Survey Group turned up evidence of weapons of mass destruction (WMD).

Former Labour MP George Galloway was among speakers

The comments came in response to US President George W Bush saying he wanted the facts about why no weapons have been found.

Tony Blair has been urged to admit the intelligence he presented to Parliament on Iraq was "wildly wrong".

The prime minister is due to be questioned over intelligence on Iraq's WMD when he makes his regular appearance before the influential Commons liaison committee of select committee chairmen on Tuesday.

Previous demonstrations, notably those before the war in March 2003 and during Mr Bush's visit in November, have attracted tens of thousands of protesters to the capital.

But organisers of the latest protest did not expect such large numbers on Saturday.