A small number of far-right protesters were met with a counter demonstration on Portland today.

Gathering at the Gateway Pillars on Victoria Square Roundabout the far-right group Patriotic Alternative (PA) held a demonstration which started shortly after 10am.

Around a dozen members waved flags and held banners.

PA South West Regional Organiser Aaron Spreadbury, from Salisbury said: "We are protesting against the migrant barge and migrants in general.

"We want the illegal migrants deported."

Five police officers and three protest liaison officers were present for the protests. 

At the same time Stand Up To Racism (SUTR) held a counter-protest with around 50 people arriving to raise signs and chant slogans. SUTR has called the group "modern-day fascists" and said that they are " not welcome".

The SUTR group put itself between the PA and the road in an attempt to block them from view using their greater numbers and chanted slogans such as: "Nazis off our streets, hate speech off our beach."

Salisbury Journal: SUTR protestors with their signsSUTR protestors with their signs (Image: Cristiano Magaglio)

Lynne Hubbard, co-chair of Stand up To Racism Dorset said: "We don't want to see nazis on Portland. They divide communities and are openly racist. 

"We have a multicultural Dorset in which everyone should be welcome."

Read more: Anti-barge group distance themselves from 'horrible' far right group