Hundreds of peace protesters marched through the centre of Hove to hand their MP an early Easter anti-war gift.

Demonstrators on Saturday afternoon chanted slogans criticising Ivor Caplin, MP for Hove and Portslade, for supporting the war in Iraq.

Traffic in Western Road was brought to a standstill as the crowd of about 500 made its way from the Peace Statue to Hove Town Hall.

Mannus McGragon, of the newly-formed group Hove Action for Peace, said: "Now the war has started we say we should protest more than ever. To really support the soldiers over there we should get them to come home.

"They should not be put in a position to kill Iraqis. We are saying to the Government and the MPs who support the war, 'not in our name'."

Protester Jackie Woodcock, of Hove, said: "I'm furious about the lies which have gone on. It is not a legal war, it's about oil. People have come on to the streets because our MP, Ivor Caplin, refuses to discuss the issue with his constituents."

Protesters, escorted by police, shouted: "Ivor, Ivor, Ivor, out, out, out. Tony, Tony, Tony, out, out, out."

Students from Blatchington Mill School, where six teenagers have been suspended for taking part in anti-war protests, also voiced their concerns.

Lianna Reynolds, 15, said: "We have come here because we are the generation which will have to pick up the pieces after this war."

The protesters waited outside Hove Town Hall while two parents with children at Blatchington Mill took a 1,000-name anti-war petition to Mr Caplin.

They also gave him an Easter egg with the words "Stop the War" written on it in white chocolate.

Parent Fran Kilvington, who went to see Mr Caplin, said: "In a war there are many casualties, and the truth is one of them. Students at school who protested have become victims.

"We want to challenge Ivor Caplin, who has a close relationship with the school. We don't expect him to do much but we have to keep the pressure on.

"These children have been told the price of protesting is their education."

Mr Caplin, who gave the Easter egg to one of his colleagues at the town hall, said he backed Tony Blair on the war and was not fazed by the protesters calling for him to step down.

He said: "All my thoughts are with the brave men and women who are trying to rid the world of Saddam."

Of Saturday's protest, he added: "People are free to demonstrate in the UK, which is something they would not be able to do in Baghdad."

Glen Whittaker, whose 15-year-old son Adam was expelled from the school after taking part in an anti-war demonstration, was at the protest.

He is furious his son has been told to stay away, fearing it could jeopardise his chance of passing GCSE exams.