BLACKBURN MP Jack Straw faced tough questions and heckling when he took his last Saturday soapbox surgery before the General Election.

Mr Straw used his regular mid-morning question and answer session with shoppers in King William Street to put his case for re-election.

But after addressing the larger-than usual 100-strong crowd he was grilled on pensions, university top-up fees, housing, the legality of the war in Iraq and was also heckled by people handing out pro-BNP literature.

Craig Murray, the former ambassador to Uzbekistan now standing against Mr Straw at the General Election, was also handing out his own leaflets urging people to reject Jack Straw and George Bush.

Gordon Kennedy, 52, an IT worker from Bolton, repeatedly asked Mr Straw if the public had been misled over Iraq's weapons of mass destruction and why Britain had not attempted to depose other dictators.

Charles Martindale, 25, a software development manager from Bank Top, Blackburn, also blasted Mr Straw and the Government for taking Britain to war on flawed intelligence.

Mr Straw replied: "I admit that the intelligence dossier on Iraq was flawed but the Government did not know that at the time."

He pointed out five separate inquiries over the Iraq war concluded the government was right to act on the intelligence available at the time.

Concluding, Mr Straw said: "The only alternative to Labour is the Conservatives and if you vote for a third party, you won't get the third party in but the Conservatives. They will damage this country like they have in the past."

But speaking after the event Mr Murray, 46, who moved to Blackburn three weeks ago to fight Mr Straw as an Independent and 'anti-torture' candidate, said: "He has been MP in Blackburn for the last 25 years and takes credit for all the great things that happen in here but the place isn't that great.

He went on: "Blackburn can send a message that can go around the world and that message is that people can oppose George Bush by rejecting Jack Straw."