'United against racism' - Hundreds protest against far-right in Southend, Northampton, Bedford

• Scenes in Southend and Northampton as anti-racism protesters took to the streets. One protesters told ITV Anglia: 'There's no room for racism in this country'

Anti-racism campaigners have spoken of their pride in their communities after they out-numbered the anticipated anti-immigration and far-right protesters at sites across the region.

Demonstrators were at locations across the region on Wednesday night, including Southend in Essex, Northampton, Bedford and Norwich, some singing "there are many more of us than you".

The demonstration took place after a list of more than 30 locations for planned disorder was circulated online.

In Southend, where shops and businesses had boarded up their windows, around 500 protesters had gathered by 8.30pm.

They held up a sign that read, "stand up to racism", and shouted "Nazi scum, off our streets".

Lewis Riches, who lives in Southend, said: "I think it's amazing to see how many people from the community come out and support. It's not about immigrants, it's about the bad people that are coming over from both sides."

He added: "My elders and stuff, they come over in the 50s and they've worked all their lives.

"Southend is very very diverse, and we're not going to have anyone come in and try to separate like that."

Police later said that a man had been arrested on suspicion of having a weapon after he was searched.

In Northampton, people danced in the streets as they realised their 350-strong crowd had warded off any planned far-right riot along Kettering Road.

Khaled Ahmed told ITV News Anglia: "We've seen innocent people attacked on the streets, Black people, as well as Asians."

He added: "A lot of the news channels have named them [the riots] protests. What kind of protest aims to attack people? What kind of protest aims to burn people? Setting hotels on fire where we have women and children?"

He said: "I'm extremely proud of our community. If you look around the numbers, I didn't expect this. I'm really really proud of our local community."

Hannah Litt said: "My message to the far right is that we're all fighting for the same thing. We're all struggling and it's not the people that they're aiming it at, that their anger is actually towards. It's actually the government.

"And actually, none of us want [asylum seekers] and we don't want them here because we don't want their lands to be taken in the first place. We don't want the destruction that happens that makes them have to come here.

"They've not come for the weather, I can assure you. None of us came here for the weather."

She continued: "I'm really proud, this is who we are as a community. We're diverse and when our community needs us, we show up, it's what we do."

Police said three people were arrested for public order offences in Northampton.

In Bedford, hundreds gathered in Queens Park.

In Norwich, dozens turned up outside the Brook Hotel in Bowthorpe, which houses asylum seekers and refugees.

Essex Police officers were also deployed in Chelmsford, another site of suspected protest activity, but none materialised.

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