Protesters have interrupted a speech by Jeremy Corbyn on domestic violence and human rights to demand Labour takes a stronger stance on battles raging in the Syrian city of Aleppo.

Peter Tatchell, the human rights campaigner, led demonstrators who burst on to a stage shared by the opposition leader and Baroness Shami Chakrabarti.

As protesters held posters in front of television cameras demanding “actions not words”, Mr Tatchell said: “What’s happening in Aleppo is a modern day Guernica. We haven’t heard the leader of Labour party speak out enough to demand UK air drops.

Peter Tatchell (right) leads protesters disrupting a speech by Jeremy Corbyn to demand more action in Aleppo, in London on 10 December (PA)

“Hundreds of thousands of life are at risk. We expect the leader of the Labour party to speak out.”

Mr Corbyn remained at the podium, appealing with the demonstrators to leave their comments to a question session scheduled at the end of his speech.

“Peter, could we leave this to the questions please? We’re trying to make a speech here,” he said, before being urged to “sit down for a minute” by Lady Chakrabarti. “Just let them do this,” she added.

Mr Corbyn could be heard asking aides if and when the Labour Party condemned the bombing of rebel-held areas of Aleppo before returning to the stage as protesters receded.

Thanking demonstrators for “raising the issue”, he said Emily Thornberry, Labour’s shadow Foreign Secretary, had “made it absolutely clear that we do think there should be aid given to aid given to people in Aleppo, we do think the bombing should end, we do think there should be a ceasefire, we do think there should be a political solution, we do think the war should end in Syria.”

Mr Corbyn had started making a speech to mark Human Rights Day when the protest started. It was due to focus on a commitment to lay down minimum standards of support for those fleeing abusive relationships under the Istanbul Convention.

In pictures: Aleppo bombing Show all 14 1 /14 In pictures: Aleppo bombing In pictures: Aleppo bombing Bombing in Aleppo Smoke rises after airstrikes on the rebel-held al-Sakhour neighborhood of Aleppo, Syria April 29, 2016. Reuters In pictures: Aleppo bombing Bombing in Aleppo A Syrian family runs for cover amid the rubble of destroyed buildings following a reported air strike on the rebel-held neighbourhood of Al-Qatarji in the northern Syrian city of Aleppo, on April 29, 2016. AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Aleppo bombing Bombing in Aleppo A man reacts as he stands on blood stains at a site hit by airstrikes in the rebel held area of Aleppo's al-Fardous district, Syria, April 29, 2016. Reuters In pictures: Aleppo bombing Bombing in Aleppo The damage of the airstrikes in the rebel-held area of Aleppo on April 28 Reuters In pictures: Aleppo bombing Bombing in Aleppo The damaged the Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF)-backed al-Quds hospital after it was hit by airstrikes, in a rebel-held area of Syria's Aleppo Reuters In pictures: Aleppo bombing Bombing in Aleppo Syrians evacuate an injured man amid the rubble of destroyed buildings following an air strike on a rebel-held of Aleppo on April 29, 2016. AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Aleppo bombing Bombing in Aleppo People inspect the damage at a site hit by airstrikes, in the rebel-held area of Aleppo's Bustan al-Qasr AP In pictures: Aleppo bombing Bombing in Aleppo A man leads a woman in tears and child out of the scene after airstrikes hit Aleppo AP In pictures: Aleppo bombing Bombing in Aleppo Civil defence members search for survivors after an airstrike at a field hospital in the rebel held area of al-Sukari district of Aleppo Reuters In pictures: Aleppo bombing Bombing in Aleppo A Syrian boy is comforted as he cries next to the body of a relative who died in a reported air strike in the rebel-held neighbourhood of al-Soukour in the northern city of Aleppo Getty Images In pictures: Aleppo bombing Bombing in Aleppo A Syrian family walks amid the rubble of destroyed buildings following a reported air strike in the Bustan al-Qasr rebel-held district of the northern Syrian city of Aleppo Getty Images In pictures: Aleppo bombing Bombing in Aleppo Syrian civil defence volunteers and rescuers remove a baby from under the rubble of a destroyed building following a reported air strike on the rebel-held neighbourhood of al-Kalasa in the northern Syrian city of Aleppo Getty Images In pictures: Aleppo bombing Bombing in Aleppo Syrians help a wounded youth following an air strike on the Fardous rebel held neighbourhood of the northern Syrian city of Aleppo Getty Images In pictures: Aleppo bombing Bombing in Aleppo Syrian civil defence volunteers evacuate people from a damaged building following a reported airstrike in the rebel-held neighbourhood of Tareeq al-Bab in the northern city of Aleppo

“We will put women’s rights and freedoms, human rights, at the heart of our programme for government,” he was due to say.

“Women will not only be at the heart of my government, women’s rights and interests will be front and centre stage of everything we do.”

Saturday’s protest was mounted by the pro-opposition Syria Solidarity UK campaign group, which is calling a parliamentary vote on UK aid drops, the end of sieges in Syria and humanitarian evacuations of civilians.

Mr Tatchell has previously criticised the Labour leader for failing to speak out loudly enough against Russia and its role supporting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

He has also hit out at the Stop the War Coalition Mr Corbyn previously headed for opposing Western military action.

The row comes as Syrian government forces and allies from Russia, Iran and Hezbollah, continue to advance on rebel-held districts of eastern Aleppo.

The UN warned that the city risked becoming “one giant graveyard” as bombing continued in civilian areas and thousands fled their homes. Numerous violations of international law have been reported on all sides, including indiscriminate bombing, the targeting of hospitals and civilian infrastructure and the use of chemical weapons.