UKIP supporters and counter protestors arrive in Liverpool

Hundreds of demonstrators gathered in Liverpool city centre in a protest over asylum seekers being housed in hotels in communities on Merseyside.

On social media, UKIP said it would be at St George’s Place as part of a “mass-deportations tour”, while Stand Up to Racism were also in the city centre as part of a counter protest.

A heavy police presence kept the opposing groups apart, who were waving flags and carrying banners in the noisy but largely peaceful protest which at one point involved a march around St George’s Hall.

There were 11 arrests for offences including drunk and disorderly, assault and affray, Merseyside Police said.

As part of the protest the force has been given extra powers in the city centre to search people who are suspected of involvement in criminality and disorder, or order a person to leave the area for a specified period.

There were a number of protests and counter protests taking place across the UK.

It comes after tensions around the use of the hotels for asylum seekers spiked earlier this week.

On Tuesday, the High Court granted Epping Forest District Council a temporary injunction to remove asylum seekers from the Bell Hotel in Epping, Essex, from 12 September.

The government then announced plans on Friday to appeal against the High Court’s refusal to allow it to intervene in the case, and to then further appeal against the temporary injunction.

A group of other local councils also publicly announced their intentions to seek legal advice as to whether they could achieve a similar injunction for their hotels.