A village was divided yesterday as members of the far-right English Defence League staged a protest against plans to build an Islamic learning centre.  JOANNA MORRIS was there.

ABOUT 200 EDL (English Defence League) supporters took to the streets of Shotton Colliery in a protest against plans to build an Islamic learning centre in the former mining village, near Peterlee, east Durham.

Protestors gathered at the Shotton Comrades Club to socialise and sing anti-Islamic songs before marching to the village green.

In the crowd there were men wearing balaclavas and 'Taliban Hunter' t-shirts, as well as young children and mothers with babies in pushchairs.

They listened to several speakers urging villagers to stand up to local businessman Kaiser Choudry’s plans to convert a former pub into a learning centre.

Also present was another far-right organisation, the North East Infidels.

An EDL supporter said: “We are here to let everybody know we can march anywhere we want, any time.

“Muslims want to bring Sharia law here and that is against the British way of life.

“We are here to stand up and make sure they do not get their own way.”

The march left the former mining village divided, with some residents joining in and others saying they were digusted by the EDL’s presence.

Watching the march, 26-year-old John, who declined to give his surname, said: “This is absolutely absurd. There are lads I grew up with in there.

“They have a lot of hate for no reason and racism is just the easiest thing to channel it into.

“They don’t realise this education centre is being built with their pounds.

“The lager they’re drinking comes from Mr Choudry’s shop where they spend their money all the time.

“If they don’t want the centre to go ahead, maybe they should think about putting their money where their mouth is.

“I don’t think the centre will go ahead, if it opens up someone will end up fire-bombing it.”

A counter-protest by the Tyne and Wear Anti-Facist Association was staged close to the gathering, with around 150 police officers on-hand to deal with any disturbances.

Police said that one arrest - for a public order offence - was made, but it was away from the central protest area.

Chief Inspector Chris Reeves, of Durham police, said: "Leading up to the protest we worked with the community in Shotton to make sure the local people were fully aware of what was happening.

"We would like to thank everyone for their co-operation in ensuring the event passed peacefully."