A STRING of road closures around Blackburn town centre have been announced ahead of Saturday’s EDL protest.

Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council has released details of which routes will be out of bounds from 1am until 9pm on Saturday.

Police are expecting around 2,500 English Defence League members to attend the national demonstration outside King George’s Hall, Northgate, from 12.45pm to 1.45pm.

A similar number of counter-protestors, who say they will celebrate Blackburn’s diversity, will gather at Sudell Cross between 1pm and 3pm.

The road closures are:

• Preston New Road from junction with Barbara Castle Way
• Fielden Street from junction with Princes Street
• Barton Street from junction with Fielden Street
• Cardwell Place from junction with Barton Street
• King Street from junction with Freckleton Street
• King Street from junction with Barton Street
• St Peter Street from junction with Freckleton Street
• Mincing Lane from junction with Mill Lane
• Mincing Lane from junction with Weir Street
• Darwen Street from junction with Jubilee Street
• Mill Lane from junction with Darwen Street
• St Paul's Street from junction with Montague Street
• Alma Street from junction with Barbara Castle Way

Pedestrian and local access is still permitted and diversion signs will be in place.

Loraine Jones, general manager at The Mall Blackburn, said trade would be affected but said the shopping centre would be open from 9am until 5.30pm as normal.

She said: “The Mall management and security teams are working closely with the police to ensure customers can shop in comfort and safety on Saturday.”

Paul Hoyle, president of the Blackburn Chamber of Trade, said the road closures meant some businesses along Northgate and Darwen Street have chose to close.

He said: “A lot of people are still considering whether to shut up shop for the day.

"From our members' perspective it is coming at a difficult time.”

Meanwhile, local councillors, the Lancashire Council of Mosques, the Bishop of Blackburn, Blackburn College Students Union and trade union activists have called for people to join the counter-protest.

They say they want to show Blackburn as a ‘proud, diverse and vibrant town whose inhabitants value mutual respect and decency’.

The Lancashire Council of Mosques said: “We particularly call on the mosques to encourage their congregations to actively come out and support this event.”

A number of community centres are running diversionary events on Saturday afternoon, including football matches for 16-24 year olds and a big screen showing the cricket World Cup final.