Around 75 people take part in English Defence League demonstration in High Wycombe on Sat 9th Apr 2016

A demonstration organised by the English Defence League in High Wycombe on Saturday 9th April 2016 has ended without major incident.

An estimated 75 members of the EDL assembled at High Wycombe railway station at 1.45pm and made their way towards Frogmoor carrying flags.

In Castle Street staff at a local shop turned their back on the protesters as the march passed by.

Demonstrators from counter protests stood along the route but a heavy police presence was on hand to ensure the march was peaceful.

Arriving at Frogmoor at 2.00pm, the EDL demonstrators assembled at the Southern end of Frogmoor to hear a series of speeches. At the Northern end of Frogmoor counter protesters were standing with placards. A heavy police presence enforced a ‘no mans land’ barrier of open ground between the two groups.

The speeches finished around 2.50pm at which point the EDL demonstrators made their way to the railway station, most had left High Wycombe by approximately 3.20pm.

The number of counter demonstrators in the town today numbered around 250.

Before the event it was predicted that 1,000 people could be involved however on the day numbers were far smaller with a total of around 325 demonstrators and counter demonstrators present.

At 3.50pm there was still a heavy police presence in High Wycombe town centre. On the whole the demonstration by the EDL and counter demonstrations passed off peacefully.

Four arrests were made in total in connection with the operation. Three people were arrested on suspicion of public order offences and one person was arrested on suspicion of criminal damage. All are currently in custody.

Ch Insp Rebecca Mears, Deputy LPA commander for Wycombe, said: ‘I am pleased to say that the demonstrations in High Wycombe today were peaceful and few arrests were made.

The success of the operation is, in no small part, down to the excellent partnership work before and during the event between the police, other agencies and representatives of our communities.

Those who were present held a peaceful protest and our officers liaised closely with them to help to facilitate this.

I would like to thank people in the local community who were affected by the demonstrations, for their co-operation and patience today and their continued support.‘