A RIGHT-WING politician says he felt threatened by an “anti-democratic” protest which ended with police escorting him to safety.

Tony Thommes, the Front National candidate for French Expats in Northern Europe, was chased away by protesters when he arrived for a meeting at The King and Queen pub in the Old Steine, Brighton, on Sunday.

Some 50 demonstrators from the Brighton Anti

-fascists’ group gathered to stop the French parliamentary candidate entering the pub.

He was then escorted to safety by five police officers.

Mr Thommes said: “Some protesters weren’t too keen on me being in Brighton so when I got there, they were outside the pub and when they recognised me they were being a bit threatening, following me and pushing me.

“They would shout words like fascist and racist at me as I walked across the road to talk to them and ask why they were protesting.

“It was shocking to see and I wasn’t expecting it at all.

“I wanted to have a real debate with people and I know Brighton is known as a liberal place.

“Brighton is considered to be the city with the second largest population of French expats in the UK so it really is a vital place for me to meet with constituents.

“The French Assembly even has a polling station there.”

Electronics engineer Mr Thommes, 24, is one of some 20 Marine Le Pen supporters who meet regularly at the City Pride pub in Clerkenwell, London.

Sussex Police had to escort Mr Thommes and his minder away from The King and Queen in a police van to avoid public “disorder”, dropping him at a car park to reunite with another member from his group.

A police spokesman said: “The first group were peaceful and advised us that they planned on leaving shortly.

“The group of 25 were then joined a few minutes later by a similar-sized group who were hostile, aggressive and abusive and surrounded a couple of people who were pointed out to the security team as members of the planned meeting.”

A spokesman for Brighton Anti-fascists said: “Our aim as a group was to prevent the far right organising in our city.

“We are not prepared to allow fascists like the Front National to hold public events and spread division and hatred.

“We were very happy to have prevented Thommes addressing the meeting.

“This is not a matter of free speech.

“Thommes still has that and nothing we could do would stop it – he still has a Twitter account for example.

“We will always oppose fascists plotting to gain power.”