Bristol, Birmingham and London businesses boarded up ahead of far right protests
Shops and businesses across the country have begun boarding up their buildings amid fears right-wing rioters will cause chaos this evening.
Pub landlords and estate agents are among those who are "concerned" after being warned by police of planned protests later today (Weds).
Businesses in London, where protests are planned in four locations, say police visited them yesterday to warn them to take precautions.
Meanwhile, shops in Bristol were also seen boarding up their windows for fear of being targeted by anti-immigration protestors.
An immigration bureau near to the Walthamstow Central underground station in northeast London has been named online as one of four possible locations for protests across the capital.
One popular pub in the area has confirmed it will shut for the day because of the protests, whilst several estate agents said they’d boarded up their high-street shops on the advice of police.
Other protests across the capital are reportedly planned to take place at immigration centres in Harrow, northwest London, Hounslow in west London and Finchley, north London.
Many businesses have shut up shop for the day or will be closing early due to fears of unrest.
A nursery in Walthamstow has warned parents to collect their children "by 5pm" today (Wed) to "ensure children and staff get home safe and avoid potentially being caught up".
One parent, posting the note on X, formerly Twitter, described the need for the advice as "beyond grim".
Meanwhile, Walthamstow pub The Nag’s Head told its followers on Instagram it wouldn’t be open - telling customers to "stay safe".
The pub said in a post: “We’ll be closed on Wednesday August 7 due to [a] potential protest in Walthamstow to ensure safety of our employees and customers.
“Please everyone stay safe! We’ll be back again on Thursday 8.”
An employee at the Walthamstow branch of Foxtons Estate Agents - which sits directly next door to the immigration centre - confirmed they had boarded up their office, as well as their Finchley branch after being advised to do so by police.
“We have been advised by the police to put boardings up for safety,” the woman said.
A woman working at Your Move Estate Agents, just a little further down the road, said they’d received similar advice from police yesterday.
“We haven’t boarded up but we have the shutters down and we are going to close early, around five o’clock. We got the advice yesterday from the police, who came in to see us.”
A manager at another estate agent on the same road admitted he was "concerned" about the rumoured riots.
The Central Estates manager said: “It’s just the safety of the staff - better to be safe than sorry.
“We are going to shut up, put the blinds down and probably leave early - otherwise employees won’t be able to get away by car."
Asked if he was worried the business would be damaged, the manager added: “Are we concerned? Yes. Who wouldn’t be?
“We are mainly concerned about the safety of our staff.”
Pub landlords and estate agents are among those who are "concerned" after being warned by police of planned protests later today (Weds).
Businesses in London, where protests are planned in four locations, say police visited them yesterday to warn them to take precautions.
Meanwhile, shops in Bristol were also seen boarding up their windows for fear of being targeted by anti-immigration protestors.
An immigration bureau near to the Walthamstow Central underground station in northeast London has been named online as one of four possible locations for protests across the capital.
One popular pub in the area has confirmed it will shut for the day because of the protests, whilst several estate agents said they’d boarded up their high-street shops on the advice of police.
Other protests across the capital are reportedly planned to take place at immigration centres in Harrow, northwest London, Hounslow in west London and Finchley, north London.
Many businesses have shut up shop for the day or will be closing early due to fears of unrest.
A nursery in Walthamstow has warned parents to collect their children "by 5pm" today (Wed) to "ensure children and staff get home safe and avoid potentially being caught up".
One parent, posting the note on X, formerly Twitter, described the need for the advice as "beyond grim".
Meanwhile, Walthamstow pub The Nag’s Head told its followers on Instagram it wouldn’t be open - telling customers to "stay safe".
The pub said in a post: “We’ll be closed on Wednesday August 7 due to [a] potential protest in Walthamstow to ensure safety of our employees and customers.
“Please everyone stay safe! We’ll be back again on Thursday 8.”
An employee at the Walthamstow branch of Foxtons Estate Agents - which sits directly next door to the immigration centre - confirmed they had boarded up their office, as well as their Finchley branch after being advised to do so by police.
“We have been advised by the police to put boardings up for safety,” the woman said.
A woman working at Your Move Estate Agents, just a little further down the road, said they’d received similar advice from police yesterday.
“We haven’t boarded up but we have the shutters down and we are going to close early, around five o’clock. We got the advice yesterday from the police, who came in to see us.”
A manager at another estate agent on the same road admitted he was "concerned" about the rumoured riots.
The Central Estates manager said: “It’s just the safety of the staff - better to be safe than sorry.
“We are going to shut up, put the blinds down and probably leave early - otherwise employees won’t be able to get away by car."
Asked if he was worried the business would be damaged, the manager added: “Are we concerned? Yes. Who wouldn’t be?
“We are mainly concerned about the safety of our staff.”