NOW the media circus has packed and gone, the quiet village of Bramhope is adjusting to the news that they are home to the cousin of the world's most feared dictator.

Izzedin Al-Majid has been living on Leeds Road, Bramhope for two and a half years.

A media storm erupted when rumours began that Saddam Hussein's daughters would be moving in too.

Mr Al-Majid has since said he will not be requesting permanent asylum for his nieces.

The attitude of the villagers is now one of cautious tolerance.

Rob Kilbride is owner of a newsagents in Bramhope village.

He said: "It was mental for a day but it has all calmed down. There are some very mixed views now.

"Some people say 'so what' but others are absolutely up in arms about it.

"I think the main thing people want to know is how much involvement he had with Saddam and his regime, and where he got his money from."

Steve Kilbride works with his brother Rob. He said: "I think he's been in the shop and he just seems like a normal guy.

"We don't really know what the truth of all this is, it's all speculation.

"We certainly don't want Saddam's daughters here if they were involved in any way.

"If they did anything then they should stand trial. But it's difficult - If my dad said do something, we did it.

"Not that we would have got killed if we hadn't, but you don't know what they had to do.

"We are lucky here. We have a relatively free society."

The uproar may have died down but Steve Kilbride believes there is genuinely some bad feeling in the village.

"A lot of people here have sons and daughters in the armed forces," he said.

"Some of them will have been fighting in the conflict and to find out that Saddam's cousin is here is hard for them.

"I don't think anyone here would do anything about it though."

The brothers are pleased that life has settled down again.

"It was something to talk about for a while," they said.

Gina and Michael Gould run Culinary Quest in Bramhope.

Gina told the Wharfedale Observer: "It is surreal.

"It's just not what you expect in Bramhope.

"This is a very friendly community and I can't see there will be any efforts to get him out."