ANGRY dads protesting about child access rights donned decontamination suits and hurled buckets of water at a York office early today.

Today's midnight stunt by the Fathers 4 Justice lobby group focused on the Fishergate branch of the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (CAFCASS).

Six masked protestors took part - launching a day of action against CAFCASS offices across the region.

Copycat stunts, dubbed "decontamination attacks" to "clean up" the under-fire government agency, were planned later today in Harrogate and across West and South Yorkshire.

Paul Midgley, of the Yorkshire arm of Fathers 4 Justice, which has nearly 300 members, said protests marked the third anniversary of CAFCASS. The agency, charged with looking after children's interests, advises family courts on custody cases.

Criticised by a committee of MPs, its decisions have already sparked controversial national protests that have seen fathers scale high-profile structures including motorway bridges. At today's York stunt protestors - watched by a handful of bemused motorists - called for a major shake-up of family law and a system they claim is "anti-father".

The only York father involved, who gave his name as Mark, 43, faces a court battle over access to his son.

"At the end there's no guarantee that will let me see my son," said Mark, who said he was prepared to risk arrest for the cause. "I'm a second-class parent - there's no equality."

A CAFCASS statement said: "CAFCASS wants to work with a variety of groups to promote the interests of children, but we cannot work with organisations that behave in an unacceptable way.

"We respect the right to peaceful protest, but previous activities by this group have intimidated and distressed staff, as well as families in the offices at the time.

"There is no question of there being a bias against one parent in favour of another and in most cases the child's welfare is best served by contact with both parents provided it is safe."

Updated: 10:33 Thursday, April 01, 2004