President's state visit ends with private trip to Sedgefield

Amid tight security in London this morning, the US President and the First Lady bade farewell to the Queen in the final act of Mr Bush's state visit, before boarding a helicopter for a private trip to the Prime Minister's constituency in Sedgefield.

Mr Bush's helicopter was flanked by heavily armed helicopter gunships that patrolled the sky around Buckingham Palace.

The presidential helicopter later touched down at a green close to the Blair's family home in Trimdon. A £1 million security operation in and around the Blair's Sedgefield home extended to a nearby pub where Mr Bush and his wife Laura had a private lunch with the Blairs.

But the carnage of the suicide bomb attacks in Turkey, which killed 27 people and injuring almost 500, has overshadowed the presidential visit to the UK.

In Baghdad a series of rocket-propelled grenade attacks launched from donkey carts have hit high-profile targets. The Palestine and Sheraton hotels, both of which are used by foreign nationals, were hit and a blaze broke out in the Iraqi oil ministry, which was also targeted in a rocket attack today.

There was a mixed reception for Mr Bush and Mr Blair as supporters and anti-war demonstrators turned out in Sedgefield today.

Stop the War protestors demonstrating against US foreign policy in Trafalgar Square yesterday tore down an effigy of Mr Bush - a reminder of the scenes in Baghdad earlier this year.

At a press conference yesterday, both Mr Blair and Mr Bush said that they were united in their determination to deal with the evil of terrorism. Pledging to defeat terrorism "completely" Mr Blair said: "There must be no holding back, no compromise, no hesitation in confronting this menace."

The saturation security operation in the Co Durham town of Sedgefield and nearby Trimdon has involved some 1,300 police officers.

Drains, letterboxes and telephone kiosks have been temporarily sealed and car owners asked to move vehicles as the security clampdown swung into operation this week.

(SP)