Anti-BNP activists attack police

About 40 anti-fascist activists have scuffled with police near to the entrance to this weekend's controversial BNP festival in Denby.

The activists started the trouble at 11am in Breach Road, at the junction with Denby Common.

But police managed to get the situation under control by 11.30am and 33 arrests were made.

The activists tried to pile up a barrier of gates, tyres and drums from nearby fields while throwing missles at the police.

Officers managed to stop them from creating the barrier, which it is believed was being built to stop BNP members from coming to the festival.

Assistant Chief Constable Peter Goodman said: "There were 250 officers involved in the policing operation today. It is unclear how many of these were involved in the scuffle but one officer is believed to have received minor injuries."

The activists are separate to the 500 protestors who marched down the A6007 Heanor Road against the BNP Red, White and Blue festival.

Demonstrators from Unite Against Fascism, the TUC and Unison were flanked by 150 police officers as they marched through the village of Codnor, Derbyshire, to rally against the BNP.

Waving placards bearing slogans such as "Jobs And Homes Not Racism", the protesters walked down the village’s main high street to a farmer’s field where the BNP was holding its festival.

The protesters will later be addressed by Bob Crow, general secretary of the Rail, Maritime and Transport Union and Amber Valley MP Judy Mallabar.

But there were a number of hold-ups as demonstrators from the various groups argued among themselves about who should be at the front of the march.

Ass Ch Con Goodman said: "Only a small number of people were involved in violent protest. The vast majority of protestors behaved impeccably."