A PROTEST will take place in Worcester this weekend condemning the Government's police, crime, sentencing and courts bill.

According to Worcester's Extinction Rebellion group the 'Kill the Bill' protest will take place on Saturday (April 10.)

Protesters have been asked to meet at the Elgar Statue in Cathedral Square at 1pm.

A statement on the Extinction Rebellion Facebook page read: "This is a chance for the local community to peacefully come together to oppose the police, crime, sentencing and courts bill. participants are being asked to socially distance and wear a mask where possible."

Protests have been held in cities around the country against the Government's bill, which would give police in England and Wales more power to impose conditions on peaceful protests, including protests deemed too noisy or a nuisance.

Police have been criticised for alleged heavy-handedness towards protesters, with a former Worcester News reporter at the centre of a row over the police's handling of the protests in Bristol.

Reporter Matthew Dresch, who left the Worcester News in 2019 and now works for the Daily Mirror, tweeted that he was "assaulted" by officers responding to the ongoing "Kill The Bill" protests on last month.

In the video, an officer is seen to advance on him despite being told he was press.

In his tweet, he said: "Police assaulted me at the Bristol protest even though I told them I was from the press.

"I was respectfully observing what was happening and posed no threat to any of the officers."

Avon and Somerset Police released a statement on Twitter where they said they were trying to contact Mr Dresch.

It said: ""A free press is a cornerstone of our democracy and we fully respect the media's vital role in reporting events fairly and accurately."