Anti-racism campaigners have taken to a beach to spread the message that refugees are welcome in Kent.

Their demonstration came as a response to news that members of far-right Britain First have started patrolling the coastline on the 'lookout' for migrants as they approach the UK.

Starting in Dover, the hardline group - who have been heavily criticised - says it will intensify its searches in coming weeks as part of a campaign called Operation White Cliffs.

But despite their rhetoric within hours of starting their patrols they were evaded by eight Iranian migrants on a flimsy dinghy.

The protest also came in the same week Folkestone and Hythe MP Damian Collins criticised the Home Office decision to house 59 asylum seekers at the three-star Grand Burstin Hotel in Folkestone, saying alternative accommodation should have been available.

The asylum seekers stayed last Tuesday in what is understood to be a 'one-off' situation.

Folkestone and Hythe District Council was informed of the temporary arrangement on the day.

Mr Collins said: "The use of hotel rooms by the Home Office is always a last resort and the use of the Grand Burstin was very short-term.

"What is important is that all relevant parties, including the Folkestone and Hythe District Council, were kept in the loop in order to minimise impact on the local community and visitors to Folkestone.

"That being said I do not believe it is acceptable for rooms in large hotels like the Grand Burstin to be used in this way. Alternative accommodation should be available."

Over the weekend 50 activists from Kent Anti-Racism Network gathered at Sunny Sands beach, less than half a mile from the Burstin hotel, and scrawled the message 'refugees welcome' on the sandy shoreline.

Suzi Ashworth attended the Kent Anti-Racism Network protest on Sunday in Folkestone and said: "It was necessary to give a visible presence to the many people who believe that all humans have the right to be treated fairly and respectfully.

"We do not need or want vigilantes patrolling our shores."

Rachel Kitchen also attended and added: "I felt very strongly that I had to be there.

"The community that I live in is a very welcoming place and it's important that this message is heard."

Founding member and organiser Bridget Chapman gave the following speech at the event: "I don’t even want to name the small poisonous hate group that have been claiming to 'defend' our coastline for us.

"Locally there are a variety of feelings about immigration and asylum seekers but the out-and-out hatred peddled by these uniformed muppets doesn’t represent our amazing Kent community.

"Some people say that the far right should be ignored. Just ignore them, they’ll go away.

"I don’t even want to name the small poisonous hate group that have been claiming to 'defend' our coastline for us..." - Bridget Chapman

"That doesn’t work. It’s an abdication of responsibility. Poison spreads.

"Even if they are a tiny number of people we cannot allow them to infect anyone else. And I’m so proud that all of you have come out today to be the vaccine against this threat to our communities."

She continued: "Kent has a proud history of welcoming visitors, migrants and asylum seekers.

"For more than a thousand years people have been crossing the Channel to make the pilgrimage to Canterbury Cathedral. In Dover there is a medieval building called Maison Dieu.

"It was built to give those who had made the difficult Channel crossing a comfortable place to spend their first night on British soil.

"The Huguenots came here fleeing persecution in the 16th century.

"In the first world war 250,000 refugees came to this country from Belgium.

"They crossed the Channel in small boats, just like refugees have been doing recently.

"Since Christmas around 900 asylum seekers have made that journey here. It’s been called a 'crisis', a 'swarm'. But on the busiest day for crossings in 1914 nineteen thousand people arrived here in Folkestone. In just one day.

"At a time when the population of the town was just twenty thousand.

"And people came together to welcome them. People gave up spaces in their homes. Warm clothes were donated. Food was made and delivered.

"That is us. That is Kent. And it’s a history to be proud of.

"Refugees are welcome here."

Last week's need for accommodation at the Grand Burstin is not the first time asylum seekers have been put up at the hotel.

In 2014, the Home Office transferred 130 asylum seekers into the harbour-front hotel amid claims of overcrowding at a London site.

While 30 were moved on after one night, 100 people remained at the hotel for two weeks.

The Home Office at the time said they were not people who had entered the country illegally.

• There was another protest in Folkestone last week when hundreds took to the streets to campaign against climate change

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