A march to kick off a political anarchist's election campaign against Iain Duncan Smith received a "mixed response" from the public and a "personal escort" from the police.

Class War candidate Lisa McKenzie, 47, of Bethnal Green, marched through Station Road, Chingford, on Saturday with around 20 members and a banner which read 'We must devastate the avenues where the wealthy live'.

Ms McKenzie, a fellow at the London School of Economics, stepped up the plate last month after Playboy model turned-anarchist Marina Pepper told the party she was standing down.

Members were given a "personal escort" by police during the two-hour rally and were allegedly threatened with arrest.

Ms McKenzie, said: "Wherever we go, police give us a personal escort. This time they followed us all the way back to Chingford station and made sure we got back on that train.

"Police insisted the banner was taken down or everyone present would be arrested under the Public Order Act.

“We remained defiant as we wanted to let Chingford know that we exist.

Candidate Lisa McKenzie with her megaphone along Station Road, Chingford

"The response was mixed. People were quite happy to see us and we had a couple of young lads who said they had never voted before, would vote for us.

"We also had people drive past in 4X4's telling us 'to get a job' as they assume we do not work."

The mother-of-one aims to travel to housing estates in Chingford and Woodford Green during her next visit in two week's time as she grew up in Nottingham on a housing estate where there was no "Tory territory" and is interested to see how they feel.

She admitted her campaign is not centred on becoming elected as MP but rather to challenge mainstream politics.

Adding: "I'm not going to win this election and I'm not sure I would even want to be an MP. What I want is to put class back into politics. Social mobility has stopped and inequality is widening but none of the parties will address this."