A planned English Defence League (EDL) demonstration in the name of a teenage boy who claims to have been brutally assaulted by an Asian gang is still going ahead - despite his family telling the far-right group they want nothing to do with them.

Trainee baker Daniel Stringer-Prince, 17, was allegedly attacked as he walked home in Hyde, Greater Manchester, by a group of eight Asian men.

He believes the attack was racially motivated.

Police arrested two men who have been released on bail.

Since then the far-right EDL has latched on to the teenager's case, using it as a political tool to justify and promote a march in Stringer-Prince's hometown of Hyde on 25 February.

"People of Hyde, we are coming down the road," one user posted on the EDL's website forums, confirming the event's details.

"Please all muster at Hyde central station between 12 and 12:45pm. At approximately 1pm we will march from there through Hyde to our demonstration site on Clarendon Street.

"At present there are no restrictions in place so if you are using the local facilities please all show them the uppermost respect and we ask that you all follow instructions from our stewards and the police on the day."

One EDL member called Suzy wrote on the Casuals United blog, which has close links with the group, that they do not have to listen to what Stringer-Prince's family wants.

"The bottom line is, we don't need the approval or even the support of the victims of these vicious racist attacks against our people in order to hold a demo," she wrote.

"We are quite entitled to be outraged and demo anywhere we see fit."

Other EDL members took to Facebook to express their intention to demonstrate against the family's wishes.

"Daniel Stringer's family say they don't want us there, too bad we're coming down the road," posted George Hadwin.

Another Facebook user, posting as Scott Halifax, wrote: "Is Hyde demo cancelled? Is it f**K. It's Expose and the [Greater Manchester Police] spreading lies so we don't go and upset the local community. F**k them, the p**i c***s."

Stringer-Prince's mother has spoken out against the EDL.

"The EDL have decided to do this and it's go nothing to do with us whatsoever," Cheryl Stringer, Daniel's mother, told the Manchester Evening News.

"We don't want this march to go ahead. It's not going to change anything - it won't make anything better it will just cause more problems.

"I certainly don't want Daniel's name dragged into something we don't agree with."

She added that the family had had lots of support from the Asian community.

Greater Manchester Police are putting more officers on the street for the protest.

"GMP respects everyone's right to peaceful protest, while at the same time ensuring minimal disruption to our local communities," Assistant Chief Constable Terry Sweeney said.

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