Rochdale Braces for National Front Rape Trial Protest

Police are gearing up for a far-right National Front demonstration in violence hit-Rochdale, the town at the centre of a trial of eleven Asian men accused of raping underage girls.

A mob linked to the English Defence League (EDL) recently went on the rampage around the Heywood area, smashing the windows of a takeaway restaurant connected to the trial, as well as throwing bricks at police officers.

Now the National Front, white supremacists with a history of violent demonstrations, is descending on the town because of the court case.

Over 200 people are confirmed as attending on the group's Facebook page.

Protest organisers have not formally notified Greater Manchester Police of the demonstration.

"We are aware of a planned protest by far-right groups in Heywood on Saturday. The groups have not made a formal approach to Greater Manchester Police (GMP), as a result we have not been made aware of specific numbers, intentions or locations," Superintendent John Graves of GMP, based at Rochdale, said.

"However, we have an appropriate police operation in place and will continue to monitor the situation to ensure public order is maintained.

"We are working with members of the Heywood community, our partners at Rochdale Council and local business to ensure that any event passes off as peacefully as possible."

He added that the police respect people's right to peaceful protest as long as public safety is not threatened.

The National Front found notoriety in the 1970s for its racist rhetoric and its ties with neo-Nazi groups.