THE controversial MP George Galloway has cancelled an appearance in Huddersfield this week.

Mr Galloway was due to speak at a meeting of the Stop the War Coalition on Thursday in the reception room at Huddersfield Town Hall.

But a spokesman for the coalition said that Mr Galloway had cancelled the engagement because of a conference in Cairo.

He added: "The War in Iraq is far from being over.

"More US and British troops were killed there in November than in any month since 1991 - not to mention the thousands of continuing Iraqi deaths.

"We have to keep up the pressure for it to stop."

Mr Andrew Murray, national chairperson of the Stop The War Coalition, will speak at the meeting on Thursday, entitled Iraq: Is This Liberation?

Shahida Awan, chair of the Huddersfield Pakistani Community Alliance will also speak, along with Kate Smith, an anti-war activist and an official from the traindrivers' union Aslef.

For further information contact the coalition on 687168.