TWO militant fathers who flour-bombed Tony Blair in the Commons are being treated "like terrorists", supporters claimed today.

Ron Davis and Guy Harrison, both from Sussex, have now been held in custody for 24 hours with no contact with legal representatives.

Matt O'Connor, co-ordinator of Fathers 4 Justice (F4J), said today there was no justification for their detention.

Speaking outside London's high-security Paddington Green police station, he claimed they were being held for political reasons.

He said: "The guys have been here since 12.20pm yesterday and they have not seen a legal representative.

"The Government, the authorities and the police, given the profile of the demonstration, are taking this very seriously and are treating the protesters as terrorists for throwing condoms filled with purple-coloured self-raising flour.

"There is no reason why these guys should be treated in such a way. They should be released. If they (the authorities) want to make an issue of this, we are happy to oblige."

Mr O'Connor suggested that if the two men were not released, F4J could organise a protest outside the police station.

He said: "We will take whatever action we deem necessary. My main priority is getting these guys out."

Mr O'Connor said the group, which campaigns for improved access for divorced men to their children, was gearing up for a huge demonstration in London to coincide with Father's Day on June 18 and warned there would be more events in the coming week.

In an earlier interview with The Argus, Mr Davis said Mr Blair had reneged on a personal promise to investigate his bitter custody battle.

Mr Davis, 44, from Worthing, struck Mr Blair on the back as he and a friend - fellow activist Guy Harrison, from Ashurst, near Steyning - aimed three condoms stuffed with powder at the dispatch box halfway through Prime Minister's Questions in the House of Commons yesterday.

The House erupted in chaos as purple flour filled the air and the chamber was evacuated.

The two men were taken to the cells beneath the House.

Mr Blair, who had been flanked by Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott and Chancellor Gordon Brown, was ushered to his private office behind the chamber and his dye-splattered jacket was taken away for examination.

Police put on nuclear, chemical and biological protection suits as the powder was checked. It was found to be a harmless combination of confetti and cornflour.

But MPs feared it could have been anthrax and the attack exposed serious flaws in security at Westminster.

Home Secretary David Blunkett warned there would have to be further tightening of checks.

More than £600,000 was spent in the Easter recess on a plastic screen which separates all but the front three rows of the public gallery from the chamber beneath.

However, Mr Davis and his friend had bought VIP tickets for the front row at a charity auction. Baroness Golding, who donated the tickets, apologised to the House.

Mr Davis's raid was intended to strike a blow for Fathers 4 Justice, the campaign group for which he is Sussex co-ordinator.

Earlier this year, he told The Argus that after the bitter break-up of his marriage he had been forced to leave his four-bedroom home and two children and had seen little of them since.

He said: "As a father you have no legal right to see your children - I have been to court probably 15 times to gain contact, not to mention the £30,000 in legal costs.

"My friends have seen me destroyed."

East Worthing and Shoreham Tory MP Tim Loughton, the shadow minister for children, said: "This is an absolutely disgraceful act.

"It has done irreparable damage to their cause which will come as a great blow to many fathers suffering injustices in contact with their children, with whom I have a great deal of sympathy."

Hove Labour MP Ivor Caplin said: "I would expect the authorities to report back quickly on how they actually managed to get these bombs inside the chamber."

Senior members of F4J were unaware of plans for a direct action protest in advance.

The colour purple, used internationally to signify equality, has been adopted by the organisation.

Fellow campaigner David Chick, 37, of Burgess Hill, who was cleared of causing a public nuisance for his Spider-man protest on a crane in central London, said: "Ron is a good man and is fighting for the same cause."

Jason Hatch, 31, operations manager for the group, said: "During a radio phone-in Ron spoke to Tony Blair, who said he would look at his case but has reneged on his promise so Ron was not very happy.

"We do not condone this action but appreciate this is the action of a desperate father who has come to the end of his tether because he is up against an unfair system.

"He will be fully supported by F4J but if you throw something at the Prime Minister in Parliament you are leaving yourself open to arrest.

"Blair, being a father himself, should be sympathetic to our cause."