SIXTH-FORM students in York turned out in force to give Labour a rough ride on Iraq.

More than 150 York College teenagers packed a hustings to quiz York's eight election candidates on war, education, immigration and Tony Blair's leadership.

Hugh Bayley, the city's Labour candidate, was forced on the back foot by questions from students critical of his support for the conflict.

A couple of youngsters grilled Mr Bayley after he said he backed the invasion to defend human rights.

But after Liberal Democrat rival Andrew Waller criticised Mr Bayley for opposing the war during comments made in York, then voting for it in Westminster, the Labour man came out fighting.

In a series of heated exchanges, Mr Waller said: "You are trying to get yourself out of a u-turn."

Mr Bayley admitted arguing before the decisive Commons vote that Britain should work through the United Nations and encourage the United States to do the same.

But he added: "I did not give an unconditional guarantee that there would be no war.

"When I spoke in the debate in the House of Commons the words weapons of mass destruction never passed my lips. It was not a reason why I voted for war."

In an impassioned, 90-minute debate at the Tadcaster Road campus, he explained that the reasons why he backed the invasion was to defend human rights against Saddam Hussein, because Iraq posed a threat to neighbouring countries and because he feared that weapon-making technology could fall into terrorist hands.

He added: "You may agree with them (his reasons), you may not agree with them. But in my case I did not cite weapons of mass destruction."

He revealed he would have still voted for war, even if he had seen the recently published advice from the Attorney General.

On higher education, Mr Bayley told students funding had increased under Labour from £6 billion to £8 billion. He said more people had gone to university under his party, included a more from poorer families.

But Clive Booth said the Conservatives would cut student numbers and create "super colleges" to offer more vocational training. Mr Waller repeated the Lib Dem pledge to cut tuition fees.

Tory policies on "controlled" immigration also came under fire. Mr Bayley branded it "insidious racism dressed up in decent clothes" but Mr Booth said border controls needed updating.

Independent candidate Ken Curran was escorted outside about an hour into the hustings, after repeatedly interrupting candidates and swearing.

Updated: 10:19 Monday, May 02, 2005