A Conservative conference delegate has been egged during this afternoon’s anti-austerity protest.

Tens of thousands of demonstrators gathered at lunchtime near to All Saint’s park on Oxford Road to protest against the Conservatives as the the party conference kicked off down the road.

As the rally reached Portland Street, a breakaway group surged to a fence that had been erected to close off Oxford Street and screamed ‘Tory scum’ repeatedly at a small group of delegates standing on the other side.

One of the delegates was speaking to the protesters when he was hit by the egg.

Surrounded by press photographers, the stand-off continued for several minutes as protesters waving banners reading ‘No Cuts’ and ‘End Austerity Now’ shouted abuse at the delegates, who were wearing their lanyards and addressing the crowd.

Delegates had been warned not to wear their passes outside the zone amid fears that tensions in the city could boil over.

Pictured: Anti-austerity rally

Follow our live blog of the rally here.

But up until that point the rally - which had started a few minutes earlier - had been peaceful, although shouts of ‘oink oink’ and ‘Tory, Tory, Tory, scum, scum, scum’ could be heard at the front.

Most banners and placards were generally pro-union and anti-austerity, with Labour councillors - including Oldham council leader Jim McMahon - among those to join the demonstration.

One man at the front held a placard that said simply: “Just be nice.”

But others were more antogonistic.

A flag near the start of the protest featured a picture of David Cameron holding a gun in his mouth, with ‘Just Do It’ and a pig pictured underneath, saying: “Think of all the money you’ll save’.

The rally continued past Portland Street and skirted its way down onto Peter Street - where Conervative delegates could see them over the wall.

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A group of Tory passholders gathered to watch at a distance as the demonstration - expected to attract at least 80,000 people - headed towards the conference zone.

It is currently concluding in Castlefield.