MP joins demo near No. 10

Shrewsbury MP Daniel Kawczynski turned up on the Prime Minister's doorstep today to protest against laws banning the public from demonstrating at the gates of Downing Street.The action follows several altercations between the Tory MP and the police when he stood his ground outside Number 10 in November during a protest to save the Shrewsbury's ambulance control centre. Officers informed him he was breaking the law because he failed to get permission to be there.

Mr Kawczynski was joined by a cross-party delegation of MPs and members of the public this morning to hand in a petition defending the right to protest and calling for the repeal of the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005.

Since August 2005, it has been an arrestable offence to make any sort of protest within 1km of Parliament without seeking police permission.

Mr Kawczynski, who threatened to "let rip" about the issue in the House of Commons when he was confronted by police during his protest last year, branded the laws "ridiculous".

He said: "It is absolute scandal if an MP can't turn up outside Number 10 and protest. Anybody should have the right to protest - that is part and parcel of living in a democratic country."

By Sunita Patel