MANY French schools have said ‘non’ to Canterbury as a destination for its pupils during the war on Iraq.

The city council has received a letter from education chiefs across the Channel saying it has advised its schools against travelling without strict conditions.

The result is that 64 groups have cancelled trips to the city and the Cathedral. Cathedral spokesman Chris Robinson said: “We are obviously disappointed they are not coming because we think Kent and Canterbury is a safe place to visit.”

But Amanda Monk-Peak, from the city council’s marketing department said the overall forecast for foreign visitors to Canterbury was "not too bad".

She said: “We had a group of American tourists in the city recently but, of course, the war and world political situation does not help. We are now trying to develop a more thriving domestic market by encouraging visits to Canterbury from other parts of the county and country.

“The aim is to make our local economy less susceptible to fluctuations because of worldwide troubles.”