Protesters blocked a zebra crossing to halt traffic

Demonstrations near the Thornbury roundabout in Bradford and on Wellington Road in Leeds caused massive tailbacks and blocked the main routes into the cities.

Neil Kingsnorth, one of the protest organisers, told BBC Radio Leeds: "What we are doing is trying to cause disruption in the area as a protest in itself."

Dozens of protesters took to the streets shortly after 0800 GMT on the Leeds Road, Bradford, and locked themselves down in a row on a zebra crossing.

'Peaceful civil disobedience'

Earlier at 0715 GMT, similar numbers gathered outside a local newspaper building on Wellington Road, Leeds, and blocked the carriageway.

It caused the closure of the A58 - one of the main routes into the city - and the eastbound carriageway of the M621 at junction 2.

Mr Kingsnorth said the protests were part of a UK-wide tactic of "civil disobedience".

He said: "The people have used every democratic means possible, now we really feel we have to bring disruption to the UK as peaceful civil disobedience."

Police have started to remove the protesters, but they are warning drivers there will be significant delays on the roads throughout the morning.

Protesters said more demonstrations were planned throughout the day in Leeds and Bradford.