Large crowd at Bristol immigration removal protest Published duration 26 October 2018

image copyright BristolRisingTide image caption The incident was sparked when immigration enforcement officials attempted to take a man away

About 100 people shouting "cops go home" joined a protest as immigration enforcement officers tried to remove a man allegedly in the country illegally.

The group gathered in Chelsea Road, in the Easton area of Bristol, after a "small number" of protesters had used vehicles to block the road.

Police said the group was attempting to stop the man from being taken away.

Avon and Somerset Police said the situation was "resolved in the early hours" and the man had been detained.

A force spokesman confirmed officers had been called at about 22:15 BST on Thursday by immigration officials who had detained the man and were trying to take him away.

"We will always facilitate peaceful and lawful protest and we are pleased to say that thanks to the support from our community leaders, and people living locally, the situation was resolved," he said.

"At around 5am this morning the immigration enforcement officers were able to leave the area [with the man] without incident or injury and without the necessity for any arrests."

A Home Office spokesman said following an intelligence-led visit to a business in Chelsea Road, a 49-year-old man from Pakistan was arrested "as checks revealed he had overstayed his visa".

"He remains in immigration detention pending his removal from the UK."