Two different demonstrations took place in the constituency of Jack Straw MP and both called for his resignation.

However, in both cases the turnout was embarrassingly low for the organisers and the first had to be called off.

The Muslim Council of Europe demonstration, should have seen people march from Bangor Street Community Centre, Whalley Range, to Blackburn Town Hall, where they were due to deliver speeches.

But organisers decided not go ahead with the march because only a handful of demonstrators turned up and instead conducted speeches in Bangor Street.

March organiser Tassidaq Rehman who has held similar events in the past, said it was a demonstration against police terror raids in the town, which they claimed were a "violation of civil liberties" and part of a "Western war on Muslims".

"People in the Muslim community are afraid to speak out, but we will have more people next time. We are planning another demonstration in about four weeks."

In the second demonstration, anti-war campaigners had promised thousands of people would attend. Instead TV cameras from the BBC and Granada had to make do with fewer than ten.

Campaigners said the decision by George Bush and Tony Blair to go to war in Iraq, which was supported by Foreign Secretary Mr Straw, had caused the situation whereby British hostages such as Kenneth Bigley being held.

Mr Straw was also warned that he faced a backlash from Muslim voters in Blackburn at the General Election next year.

Spokesman Ismail Lorgat, blamed the turnout on the fact that there were a number of weddings taking place on the Sunday.

He claimed that as well as losing faith in Mr Straw, the Muslim community had lost faith in its leaders, such as councillors, for not questioning their MP hard enough about Iraq.

Former Liberal Democrat councillor Imtiaz Patel told the press: "The United States and Britain has started this illegal and immoral war by creating the notion of international terrorism.

"This has been created by George Bush and Tony Blair and supported by Jack Straw, giving licence to kill everybody and anybody and this is not acceptable for the British democratic constitution."

The final speaker was Musa Haldarvi, of Blackburn's Balaclava Street mosque, who urged the Muslim community to withdraw their support for Mr Straw.