More than a dozen people have been detained after flares were thrown towards the gates of Downing Street at a protest in London following the Southport stabbings.

A few hundred protesters chanting “Rule Britannia”, “save our kids” and “stop the boats” attempted to leave the pavement opposite Downing Street in defiance of strict Metropolitan Police conditions on the protest in Whitehall.

Protesters, many of whom were drinking alcohol, began marching towards Parliament Square after 7pm, where some threw flares onto a statue of Winston Churchill.

Protesters were reportedly attempting to break a police line on Whitehall to access Parliament Square, while bottles and cans were thrown at police in riot gear.

Some ran past police towards Trafalgar Square. Officers formed a new line outside the Cabinet Office.

Earlier officers put on riot gear as demonstrators chanting Tommy Robinson’s name surrounded The Cenotaph.