“I HATE crowds but I hate Trump more” proclaimed one of the banners at last night's protest against the policies of the new US president.

There were more than 200 people gathered in a cluster in Bournemouth Square as part of the Defend Migrants and Stop Trump Protest, a rumoured counter-protest having failed to materialise.

Other banners called on those passing to “dump Trump” and “build bridges not walls”, while one stalwart protester’s sign noted that he was “missing the Archers” to take part in the event.

Another, referencing a previous controversial American president, said: "Ask not what your country can do for you but which minority you can blame."

One or two people who apparently took issue with the protest took the opportunity to raise their objections with individuals in the crowd, but there was no trouble nor any police presence on site.

The protest was organised to coincide with similar events in other parts of the UK, chiefly targeting the US president’s recent executive order temporarily preventing nationals from seven countries from entering America.

The policy, which followed Mr Trump’s campaign pledge to temporarily halt immigration by "Muslims", was later suspended by a court, but the president has announced he will seek to reintroduce an amended version.

Organiser Elizabeth Dunn-Hallett, 32, from Southbourne, said: “I’m just a resident I am not part of any political group, although some local groups have helped set this up.

“I wanted to go to the event in London and I saw someone had written that they had just moved to Bournemouth and an event like this would never happen there.

“I thought why not?

"It is a traditionally Tory voting town which perhaps might have influenced that opinion.

"There are a lot people here who want to defend these rights.

“We have a huge economy in language schools and also tourism for which immigration, migration and freedom to move is very important.”

She said she thought it unlikely the protests would convince Prime Minister Theresa May to cancel the president’s planned state visit to the UK.

"She seems to have ignored other protests which have happened so far," she said.

“We wanted to voice our opinion to our government and say we disagree with Donald Trump’s rhetoric and they should stand up for British rights and British values of freedom, diversity and equality.”

Political and campaigning groups like Hope Not Hate and Left Unity were among those which backed the protest.

Campaigners have sought to have the state visit cancelled, and they were recently backed by House of Commons speaker John Bercow who vetoed an invitation to Mr Trump to address the Houses of Parliament during his visit, which is set to take place later this year.