Skegness anti-asylum protest passes off peacefully

A protest about the government's use of hotels to house asylum seekers in a seaside town passed off peacefully.

Lincolnshire Police said about 200 people attended a rally in Skegness on Saturday.

A number of the hotels in the town which house those seeking asylum had erected metal barriers ahead of the event.

Supt Pat Coates said officers helped to "ease concerns and diffuse tensions".

Far-right group Patriotic Alternative led a demonstration at Tower Gardens. There was also a separate march through part of the town.

A number of banners and signs displayed focused on the cost of housing people in hotels and claiming that the town was against the policy.

Lincolnshire Police said there were "no arrests or reported incidents" at the demonstration and the crowd "dispersed peacefully" when it finished.

Supt Coates said: "We have a duty to uphold the right to lawful protest, which is a fundamental part of our democracy, and Lincolnshire Police facilitated that right today.

"During the day, our officers engaged with protesters, members of the local community, and visitors to the town while they were on patrol to help ease concerns and diffuse tensions."

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