PRO-IMMIGRATION campaigners are celebrating the fact that Brighton and Hove will not be subjected to a nationalist march this St George’s Day.

A community picnic and party will be held at The Level, Brighton, to “celebrate the brilliance of diversity” and the fact the city has been “racist march free” for two years.

Previously April 23 had seen violent clashes between anti-fascists and March For England participants at an event which cost the public purse hundreds of thousands of pounds in policing costs.

The Love Brighton, Hate Racism will be held from noon today with a mixture of food, games, music and information about projects celebrating the city’s diversity and “resilient to the menace of fascism and racism”.

Hundreds of people have expressed an interest in attending the event which will take place a day before St George’s Day.

A St George’s Day event will also be held in High Street, Crawley, between 11am and 3pm tomorrow.

Organiser Crawley Borough Council is promising a “patriotic, multi-cultural family day of entertainment” including music, Punch and Judy, theatre play, workshops and stalls.

A previous volunteer run St George’s Day Parade had been cancelled for the past two years because of a shortage of volunteers.