SENIOR students at a New Forest College have had their say on the Iraq war - but they didn't play truant and they didn't stage any angry demonstrations.

The students at Applemore College near Hythe took their concerns to principal Frank Callaghan and he arranged two debates which have led to two letters being written to Prime Minister Tony Blair.

One of the letters is in support of the war and the other is against and all 900 students at Applemore are being given the opportunity to sign the letter of their choice before it is sent.

Mr Callaghan attended both debates - a general one and a school council one - and he said: "The students were very, very mature in the way they put their arguments.

"But what has impressed me most is the way the opinions have seemed to move about.

"When the conflict started, there was a very, very strong anti-war feeling but because of all the media coverage the opinions have swayed backwards and forwards.

"They have been taking a very keen interest in what is going on and they are very well-informed."

Some points made by the students in the letters:

FOR THE WAR:

To enable the Iraqi nation to experience freedom of speech and thought.

To show it is important to support our democratic system and decisions taken by Parliament.

To make clear to Iraq that they have had sufficient time to comply with reasonable requests, which they have failed to meet.

To make sure that we learn from historical example and do not allow Saddam Hussein to adopt the same importance as Adolf Hitler in the Second World War.

Because Saddam Hussein will not respond to any other initiative.

To reduce the threat of terrorism.

To eliminate the possibility of Iraq supplying weapons to other countries for terrorist acts.

To finally and conclusively remove weapons of mass destruction and chemical warfare from Iraq.

AGAINST THE WAR:

Lives of innocent Iraqis will be lost.

There will be the loss of life for American and British armed forces, including the loss of life through friendly fire.

We did not give ourselves sufficient time to seek a political solution.

We have a suspicion of an ulterior motive to the attack and wondered why it has to take place now.

There is uncertainty over what will happen to Iraq when the conflict is over and whether it will become just another USA.

There is no clear evidence of weapons of mass destruction or chemicals.

There is concern that this conflict is born out of prejudice against a foreign Muslim nation.

Fears of war escalating.