AS soon as I saw that the UKIP youth conference was coming to Worcester I thought the worst.

Last year's event, which was supposed to be held in Sheffield, was cancelled because of 'threats of violence' from the 'hard left', according to organisers.

The last thing that the city wants is more scenes of violence, with memories of the clashes at the English Defence League (EDL) protest last month still fresh in the minds of many.

While the EDL and UKIP are two very different organisations they both draw the ire of the left-wing for their views on Islam and immigration.

Most people see UKIP as the tamer of the two groups, although its current leader, Gerard Batten, has been accused of dragging the party further to the right.

He has previously described Islam as a 'death cult', reiterating the comment earlier this year.

His remarks feed into a wider wave of populism, which seems to be sweeping through the country.

Muslims appear to be taking an increasing amount of criticism, with the latest incident involving Boris Johnson comparing women in burqas to letterboxes.

Given this political climate, there is a fair chance that the youth conference will attract some counter protesters.

While there would not be two sides facing off against each other - like there was during the EDL march in the city - there could still be clashes with people entering and leaving the conference.

The police performed well under pressure at last month's protest and although some officers were injured - along with an EDL supporter - they managed to limit the violence.

I am sure they would be able to deal with any potential demonstrations at the UKIP event too.

However, this could all be premature as it may be the case that it will never actually take place in the city.

UKIP's youth branch, Young Independence (YI), said hotels in Sheffield refused to host the conference last year because of threats of violence from the 'far left'.

If things play out the same way in Worcester, YI may once again find that it is without a venue for its event on November 12.

HAVE YOUR SAY

Do you support the conference? Email md@worcesternews.co.uk