THE number of Worcester people planning to protest against today's controversial visit by George Bush has swelled after the American President's "charm offensive".

A convoy of cars carrying around 50 protesters will be leaving Worcester for London on Thursday, to join a massive demonstration through Whitehall. Mr Bush, who is due to touch down in London this evening, tried to ease the mounting pressure over the trip with high-profile interviews with David Frost and the Daily Telegraph.

He once again reiterated that America and Britain were "fighting evil" and they had fulfilled a moral duty by going into Iraq and Afghanistan.

But far from appeasing opponents to the conflicts, they sparked anger among many people in Worcester and Malvern.

Isabel Swift, of Worcester for Peace, said: "This is a substantial amount of people, considering it is a week-day protest," she said.

"And Mr Bush's interviews over the last few days have done little to change people's minds.

"In fact, people were made more angry by his charm offensive. "He struck me as a misinformed and unintelligent man. He talks of fighting evil.

"Tell that to the Iraqi people who have been subject to unimaginable horror over the past seven months."

Up to 100,000 protestors, of all races, religion, ages and gender, are predicted to attend the demonstration, which will see a makeshift statue of George "Dubya" Bush pulled down - reminiscent of the image of US troops pulling down the statue of Saddam Hussein in Baghdad.

Fears that large parts of London would be cordoned off for the protest, though, were last night allayed when the Metropolitan Police announced people would be allowed to march down Whitehall.

"It is important we are allowed to demonstrate near major landmarks such as Parliament, but the main focus should be Buckingham Palace" added Ms Swift.