THERE were mixed reactions on the streets of York today after the U.S. and Britain launched missile attacks on Afghanistan.

Support for the retaliation was mixed with fear and even apathy as people waited for the next stage in the war on terrorism.

One American visitor to the city, who did not want to be named, was forthright with his support for his president and said: "I'm totally in favour of this - root out the terrorists, shoot them all."

But even he was worried about terrorist attacks in Britain and in America and said he cannot wait to return to his Boston home. Another visitor to the city, Canadian-born Scott Barber, 28, who now lives in Seattle, said he was strongly against war of any kind.

He said: "I was just in London for four days and I'm sorry to say but I feel that London may be the next target, especially since Britain became involved.

"I spent time in the middle east and Americans have the wrong idea about Arab people.

"Basically 98 per cent are just good people like anyone else. I know that a lot of innocent people are going to die." Tom Tunstall, 60, who lives at Wheldrake, York, said he was behind Britain's involvement.

He said: "My sister lives in New York State, so I was affected by what happened.

"We have got to quash all the outposts of terrorism - I'm totally behind it, absolutely."

But a York woman, who did not want to be named, asked: "Is this the beginning of the end?"

She said: "The U.S. has gone in with both feet as usual and whatever the U.S. does, we follow.

"Germany and France haven't done anything like Britain and there were people from all different countries killed in New York."

Simon McCluskey, a journalist in Belfast who is visiting the city, said: "I think it's right that they are taking some retaliation - it was an act of war, not only on America but on the whole of the free world.

But Simon Turney, 19, a visitor from Bedfordshire, said: "I'm not particularly bothered about it.

"America is big enough to defend itself, but until it actually comes to Britain I'm not worried about it."

Updated: 14:53 Monday, October 08, 2001