Confusion as NO ONE turns up for 'huge' pro Brexit demo in Doncaster

Leave campaigners had called on thousands of protesters to gather outside the Civic Offices in Sir Nigel Gresley Square in the town centre at 10am this morning in anger at Britain’s failure to leave the EU by Boris Johnson’s October 31 deadline.

But the square was deserted and the event appears to have been pulled at the eleventh hour with organisers blaming the postponement on a lack of donations, protesters and the forthcoming General Election.

Former Vote Leave campaigners were planning to stage protests in Doncaster, Sunderland, London and Boston at 10am as part of a day of civil disobedience which also includes a mass cancellation of TV licences, lighting of beacons across the country, blockades of fuel depots and motorway go slows.

But organiser Jay Beecher admitted on Twitter that the protest had been called off due to a lack of funding and shortage of protesters.

He wrote: “The events are sadly postponed for many reasons, including a lack of funding (only enough was raised for 3 coaches - 150 people).”

He said that the planned cancellation of TV licences in protest at the BBC’s perceived anti-Brexit bias would still go ahead but it wasn’t clear if the plan to light beacons across the country today was still taking place.

A spokesman had previously said: “The event is being held as Brexit was not delivered on October 31 and will incorporate civil disobedience – a highly effective form of demonstration so far not used in former pro-Brexit marches.”

Meanwhile, beacons were also set to be lit around the country to show people’s anger at Britain’s failure to leave the EU on time.

An event dubbed Ignite: The Civil Rebellion was due to begin in the early hours of the morning of Saturday with hundreds of beacons lit simultaneously along the coast of England and inland.

There are over 4,200 beacons still standing that were lit across the UK during the celebration of The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee – with a number in the Doncaster area.

In Doncaster there are beacons at the Keepmoat Stadium, Conisbrough Castle, Hatfield Woodhouse Methodist Chapel, Askern Lake, Peel Hill Motte at Thorne, St John’s Church in Wadworth, Fenwick village and Squirrel Wood Scout Camp – but it is not clear how many of these, if any, were lit.