At least one person from Kent was apart of the 118 protestors arrested at the Grand National over the weekend.

In an attempt to highlight cruelty of race events like the one held at Aintree racecourse, hundreds tried to break into the site to protest.

Merseyside Police confirmed of the men and women arrested, who aged between 18 and 66-years-old, some came as far as Kent, Southampton, London, Essex, Swansea and Glasgow.

They were arrested on suspicion of a number of offences including conspiracy to cause public nuisance, obstructing highways and possession of controlled drugs.

Of the 118 arrests, 65 people were taken into custody to be processed and will be bailed pending further inquiries.

Assistant chief constable Paul White said: “The Grand National race was temporarily delayed for a short period of time while officers dealt with protestors who attempted to gain entry onto Aintree racecourse, and this was across the whole site which covers an extensive perimeter of around 5km which in parts is open land.

“As you can understand, the safety and wellbeing of everyone is of paramount concern when dealing with large-scale public events such as this, and this includes those who are protesting.

“To put into perspective, it is estimated that around 70,000 visitors attended the Grand National and the event went safely with an enjoyable atmosphere despite the short interruption from protestors.

“We had a robust plan in place to deal with incidents, and as such our officers and security staff were able to quickly deal with the situation in a safe and appropriate manner.

“It is also important to add that we respect the right to a peaceful protest and expression of views, but criminal behaviour and disorder will not be tolerated and sadly this is what took place at yesterday’s event in an attempt to disrupt the race which resulted in the arrests."

The Grand National was temporarily delayed as animal rights protestors stormed the Merseyside track.

The chief constable added: “I would like to reiterate our sincere thanks to members of the public for not only their patience but also their support while we dealt with the protestors.

"Our continued gratitude also goes to mutual aid officers from Greater Manchester Police, North Wales Police, Cheshire Police and Durham Police, British Transport Police and our partners at Aintree racecourse, security providers and the Jockey Club for their assistance on the day.”