Hundreds attend march in Skegness by campaigners protesting against asylum seekers in hotels

Around 200 supporters joined Patriotic Alliance for their Enough is Enough protest. They marched through the town from the railway station to the Clock Tower and on to Tower Gardens for speeches, chanting loudly and carrying ‘Close the Borders’, ‘A Nation Belongs to Its People and ‘Stop the Refugees’ banners.

Witnesses had reported increased police presence in the town ahead of the event on Saturday as there had been fears there would be a repeat of violence at a recent protest by a different group in Liverpool. This was echoed by Lincoln and District Trades Council, who said Saturday’s event was “a cynical attempt to use racism to divide the Skegness community and encourage hatred against refugees fleeing war, persecution, climate catastrophes and who were in the process of seeking a better life for themselves and their families.”

However, witnesses said that on the whole the event took place peacefully There was even disappointment from Patriotic Alliance that the MP for Boston and Skegness, Matt Warman, had not been present after he had spoken in the House saying that, while there are legitimate concerns about asylum seekers in hotels 'the shameful use of people's concerns by far right groups' is something to be deplored and stands in the way of us having a conversation that will allow us to move beyond the use of boats,'.

Scott Pittsy, of the group *Patriotic Alliance, had told Lincolnshire World ahead of the march that trouble makers were not welcome and they had ‘genuine concern’ for the people of Skegness.

After the event he said: "Everything. went as it should of done. There was not one arrest and no racist comments.

"Anyone doing so would not have been welcome.

“The locals turned out in there hundreds. Peaceful is what we wanted and that is what we got.

"It's a shame Matt Warman couldn't have come out and backed the people of Skegness he represents.

"The street was lined with business owners, clapping as we passed by.

"Lincolnshire police are a credit as in site of being underfunded they were brilliant. Everyone who attended should be proud of themselves, including the police.”