Loud protests greeted members of a far-right group as they gathered in Colchester to mark the anniversary of a soldier’s killing.

The English Defence League (EDL) laid a wreath at the foot of the war memorial in Cowdray Crescent yesterday, a year after Lee Rigby died in London.

About 100 anti-fascist protesters also met at the memorial but, unlike a similar gathering last year, there was no serious disorder or violence.

The area around the memorial was patrolled by about 30 police officers, with reinforcements waiting in surrounding roads in case of any problems.

Supt Adrian Coombs, who led the policing operation, said: “The crowds were well-behaved and there were no issues and no arrests.”

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