A radical Islamic group on Sunday abandoned plans to hold an anti-war march through a town where processions are held for British soldiers killed in Afghanistan.

Islam4UK had provoked anger with the scheme to parade through Wootton Bassett in southwest England, with Prime Minister Gordon Brown saying he was "appalled" by the idea.
 

A statement from Islam4UK's leader, Anjem Choudary, said the group had "successfully highlighted the plight of Muslims in Afghanistan".
 

He went on: "We at Islam4UK have decided, after consultation with others including our Sheikh Omar Bakri Muhammad, that no more could be achieved even if a procession were to take place in Wootton Bassett and in light of this we would like to announce today that there will no longer be a procession through this market town."
 

Islam4UK describes itself as a platform for Al-Muhajiroun, a now disbanded radical group which used to be headed by Omar Bakri, an Islamist preacher barred from Britain for his extremist views.
 

Hundreds of people regularly gather in Wootton Bassett to pay their respects to dead British soldiers as their coffins pass through the main street after being flown to the nearby RAF Lyneham airbase from Afghanistan.
 

Source: AFP