Peaceful prayers have been accompanied by the blowing of bubbles in the hope people intent on violent disorder will not wreak havoc in a County Durham market town today.

Reverend Matt Keddilty has been leading the symbolic gesture in Bishop Auckland where so-called ‘protestors’ are expected to gather later.

Demonstrations around the region and across the country in recent days have turned ugly with police and property being attacked.

Rev Matt, the Anglican Vicar of Bishop Auckland, was at St Anne’s Church in the Market Place earlier today.

He said: “The prayers to God are offering the protection but bubbles are a wonderful symbol of that.

“We are expecting stuff to be happening this evening and we had expected it yesterday. There are a lot of people praying.

“We put a post on social media and the response has been greater than anything we have seen before.    

“We prayed yesterday and nothing happened so you could think that was a happenstance but we think that was a God incident and God’s spirit of protection was there and that was the result.

“We believe we should love our neighbours no matter where they come from, no matter what they look like and no matter what language they speak.”

Rev Matt, a father-of-six, said the idea of blowing bubbles while praying was the idea of his wife, Alison.

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She said: “It is wonderful that communities are going out afterwards and clearing up and, we absolutely should do that, but wouldn’t it be better if we can do something before and not have violence in the first place.

“It makes sense for us because we blow bubbles to pray with our toddler group every week.

“When we turn our bubble machine on it completely changes the atmosphere.”