Santas march in London for fathers' rights

Fathers for Justice members dressed in Santa suits hold placard pictures of David Blunkett during a protest march through central London. Picture / Reuters

LONDON - Several hundred fathers' rights campaigners dressed as Santas marched through central London on Saturday waving pictures of the man they have invited to join their cause - former Home Secretary David Blunkett.

Blunkett, who has gone to court to try to win access to a former lover's son he says is his, resigned tearfully on Thursday over claims he abused his position to help her get a visa for her nanny.

He said he had done it out of love for the young boy.

The pictures showed Blunkett wearing a red Santa hat with the slogan "I'm the daddy" emblazoned on his chest.

The straight-talking Blunkett, who has not taken up the invitation from Fathers 4 Justice, did not take part in the march which police said numbered 350 people by the time it culminated in a rally in the city's landmark Trafalgar Square.

"We are trying to put the father back into Christmas," group founder Matthew O'Connor told Reuters.

"We also wanted to show solidarity with the former home secretary."

Police were out in force to stop the protest group, which complains that fathers get short shrift in the divorce courts, carrying out one of the stunts for which they have become known.

Members of the group have already this year pelted Prime Minister Tony Blair with flour-filled condoms in the House of Commons, scaled the walls of Buckingham Palace and disrupted rail services among other headline-grabbing stunts.

"We want to keep this issue in the public eye and are planning a new campaign in the New Year," O'Connor said.

"There will be some very, very high profile stunts and we will do all we can to disrupt the Labour election campaign."

Blair is widely expected to call a general election in May in a bid to win a third successive term in office for his Labour Party government.

"By the time the election comes round we want our cause to be on the top of the political agenda," O'Connor added.

- REUTERS