HOME SECRETARY Theresa May is being urged to step in to ban a protest in Croydon next month by right-wing extremists.
The English Volunteer Force, which describes itself as fighting "the Islamification of Great Britain" plans to hold the demonstration outside the UK Border Agency's Lunar House headquarters in Wellesley Road, Croydon on July 27.
The "ban it" call to the Home Secretary comes from the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS), which represents Border Agency staff based in Lunar House.
A spokesman for the PCS Croydon branch said: "Lunar House has the most diverse workforce in the Home Office with 60 per cent coming from the black and minority ethnic communities.
"Numbers of these staff work on Saturdays and it is not good for them to be subjected to this type of protest outside the building.
"We are asking the Home Secretary to intervene and bar the protest or, at the least, close the offices for the day."
The union's call for a ban comes on top of a similar plea to the police last week from Croydon Council leader Mike Fisher.
The arguments over the protest have continued this week with the Bishop of Croydon, the Rt Rev Jonathan Clark, opposing a ban.
He joins Shuaib Yusaf, trustee of the Croydon Mosque and Islamic Centre and MP Gavin Barwell in saying this would be a step too far.
The Bishop said: "People should have the right to demonstrate and put forward their point of view as long as it is peaceful.
"I don't think it is a good idea to ban things just in case there could be a reaction against them."
The Bishop said he believed the police had the experience to deal with the protest and it would up to them to resolve problems if they occurred.
A statement issued by the Home Office on Wednesday said: "It is really important that Home Office staff are able to work without intimidation and we take our duty of care very seriously.
"But peaceful protest is a vital part of a democratic society, provided it is conducted within the law.
"We have full confidence in the operational judgement of the police in handling this planned protest."
Deputy borough commander Supt Rob Atkin is consulting with community leaders, while in a statement, a police spokesman said "an appropriate and proportionate policing plan will be in place."
