ANOTHER counter protest has been organised against a far-right rally in the city this weekend.

Worcester Trades Union Council decided to oppose the English Defence League (EDL) demonstration at a meeting on Wednesday.

A university student has already set up a separate counter protest to coincide with the EDL action on Saturday.

The EDL plans to demonstrate in the city centre over the proposed construction of a £3million mosque in Stanley Road, Worcester.

A spokesman for Worcester Trades Union Council (WTUC) said: "The call for a city centre rally under the banner 'EDL not welcome in Worcester' follows a meeting called by the trades council and attended by representatives of a number of organisations.

"The feeling of the meeting was that it would be wrong to vacate the centre of our city so that an organisation of the far-right, the majority of who will be travelling from other parts of the country, is left free to promote their policies of division and prejudice.

"We want a city where every person, no matter what their ethnicity or religion, is free to go about their lawful business without fear of abuse or physical intimidation.

"There are two protests but they are not in competition and are working closely together.

"Both protests are intending to be peaceful, neither is intending to be provocative, both will hand out the same leaflets and at the end should be coming together."

The WTUC rally will commence in the Cornmarket, Worcester, at 1pm.

The other counter protest, organised by University of Gloucestershire student Laura Lane, will take place next to the Edward Elgar statue in Worcester's High Street at 1.30pm.