Thousands of counter-protesters have rallied in towns and cities across England after a week of rioting and disorder.

Gatherings in locations where anti-immigration protests had been expected - including north London, Bristol and Newcastle - were largely peaceful, as counter-protesters formed the bulk of the crowds.

Police had been braced for further violence, with thousands of officers monitoring as many as 100 locations.

The demonstrations followed days of riots initially sparked by misinformation online that the suspect in the fatal stabbing of three girls in Southport on 29 July was a Muslim asylum seeker.

Mosques and hotels housing asylum seekers have been among the places targeted over the last week, with some shops burnt out and looted.

On high streets across England, shop owners boarded up windows and closed early on Wednesday in anticipation of further violence.

Immigration lawyers had been told by police to work from home after lists of solicitors’ firms and advice agencies were shared in chat groups as possible targets.

But only a handful of arrests were reported during the evening as demonstrations largely passed off peacefully.

This comes after more than 400 arrests related to the riots, with more than 140 people charged, and some already convicted and sentenced.

Earlier on Wednesday, three men were given jail sentences for their part in the violent disorder in Southport and Liverpool.

The largely peaceful evening raises the question of whether those arrests, custodial sentences and the desire of others to take a stand against the violence have had an impact on those who intended to riot.

In Walthamstow, north London, thousands of people chanted "Whose streets? Our streets" and "Refugees are welcome here", while one man beat his drum enthusiastically. Some people held signs that said, "Smash the far right".

Meanwhile, about 1,500 counter-protesters gathered in Bristol. The streets of the city were filled with trade unionists, anti-fascists and members of the black and Asian community.

In Brighton, eight protesters gathered outside a building they believed contained the office of a lawyer specialising in nationality and refugee law.

They were surrounded by more than a thousand counter-protesters and forced to shelter against a building surrounded by a ring of police officers.