Girl to skip school to join protest

A 16-year-old girl will be one of the youngest protesters lining the streets for the state visit of President George Bush to London.

Verity Marriott, who has already organised two school walkouts in protest against the war in Iraq, will take part in her third next Thursday.

Miss Marriott, studying for A-levels in politics, sociology and psychology at Fortismere School in Muswell Hill, said: "Bush has taken us into two wars and he was not even properly elected. Now he's coming over here it seems like he is rubbing our faces in it."

President Bush is to visit the families of British soldiers killed in Iraq as part of a charm offensive planned for his visit. He will offer the sympathy "of the American people and the prayers of the President" and tell them their loved ones "did not die in vain".

Mr Bush revealed the move in interviews ahead of his visit, expected to be the focus of mass protests over Iraq and to be dogged by security rows.

When asked about the families of the 54 British soldiers killed in Iraq, he said: "I am going to meet some. There's two messages. One, the prayers of the American people and the prayers of the President are with them, as they suffer. Secondly, that I will tell them that their loved ones did not die in vain.

"The actions we have taken will make the world more secure and the world more peaceful in the long run."

Striking a conciliatory note, he said he admired a country where political dissent could be vigorously expressed.

He went out of his way to praise Tony Blair as a "strong leader" and claimed the two leaders discussed the future of Iraq on a "weekly basis".

The father of the youngest UK soldier killed in Iraq said today Mr Blair and Mr Bush did not care about the deaths of British troops. Robert Kelly, whose son Private Andrew Kelly, 18, died in a shooting accident in Basra, said: "For these people to meet families, it is only for their own gain."