THE far-right Raise the Colours campaign came to a head at the weekend in Faversham, Kent, as local anti-racists gathered in their hundreds to outnumber a fascist rally targeting a hostel housing unaccompanied teenage refugees.

For days, the people of the quiet market town had been intimidated by night-time raids by thugs stringing up flags on every lamppost and threatening those who challenged them.

But their actions prompted a backlash from the community, with a new online group, Faversham Against Racism, rapidly rallying opposition.

Saturday’s promised “peaceful and lawful” protest targeting the young asylum-seekers — and given a blessing by the Reform-ruled county council’s chairman Richard Palmer — in fact swiftly turned into a vicious hate-fest, having attracted extremist elements from across Kent.

Ugly scenes outside the Post Office, where the march was held up by hundreds of townsfolk singing All You Need Is Love, were followed by a march to the asylum hostel where the protesters were met — and seen off — by anti-racists organised by Kent Stand Up to Racism.