PEACE campaigners brought traffic to a standstill with a sit-down protest against a possible attack on Iraq.

Around 100 protesters from the Stop the War coalition chanted slogans as they occupied a pedestrian crossing outside Southampton Civic Centre for half an hour.

Police diverted traffic around the protesters in Civic Centre Road.

Groups represented on the demonstration included Southampton Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, the Socialist Alliance of Southampton and other anti-war demonstrators.

There were no arrests and the demonstration passed off peacefully. It was part of a national day of action.

Mark Abel of Southamp-ton's Stop the War coalition said he was pleased at the turnout.

He said: "We needed to block the traffic to make our point."