The Mayor of Athens has vowed to prevent an ultra-nationalist party from staging food handouts for Greeks-only in the capital's central Syntagma Square.

Describing Thursday's planned handout as illegal, Giorgos Kaminis accused Golden Dawn on Wednesday of engaging in "racist and xenophobic charity".

Golden Dawn said it would ignore the mayor and distribute traditional Easter fare in the square. This Sunday marks the date for Easter for the orthodox church.

The organisation's previous Greeks-only handouts have enjoyed considerable success.

The once-marginal group, which is fond of Nazi literature and symbols but rejects the neo-Nazi label, is the third most popular party in recession-mired Greece.

The party won 18 of Parliament's 300 seats last year.

Its members have been repeatedly linked with attacks on Greece's large immigrant population.