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A planned protest over the EU referendum result has been cancelled on safety grounds after an "unprecedented" response from Londoners.

More than 50,000 people were expected to attend a London Stays rally this evening to show that "London stands with Europe".

But organisers today confirmed the protest was cancelled due to safety concerns.

City Hall also said the protest had been blocked because the number of people who were planning to attend exceeded Trafalgar Square's safe limit by 40,000.

A Facebook post from the group said: “It started with the idea of bring 20 friends together in London Fields Park in east London, and now we have over 50,000 people who want to stand together in London.

“We’ve tried all we can to ensure this could go ahead. However logistically it’s not possible to ensure a safe event.

“Trafalgar Square can hold 10,000 people – and that’s with security barriers, stewards, road closures, and a full contingency plan.

“Considering the speed with which this event has picked up, arranging everything required in time is simply not possible.

“Given this, with a heavy heart, it’s too dangerous for the attendees for the event to go ahead.”

Organiser Jessica Rodgers added that the group were considering ideas for future pro-Remain events.

A Greater London Authority spokeswoman said: “We have been liaising closely with the organisers of this event, who have been surprised by the unprecedented response and anticipated level of attendance.

"The maximum safe capacity for an event on Trafalgar Square is 10,000 people, so given our need to ensure the wellbeing of Londoners, we were unable to grant permission on safety grounds.”

Rallies in Manchester and Oxford have also been abandoned and a pro-EU protest in Liverpool has been postponed until next week.

Pro-remain protesters gathered in Parliament Square on Saturday to show their anger at the prospect of leaving the EU.

The Metropolitan Police said it had been aware of the planned protest and an "appropriate policing plan" would have been in place.