Kent police received warnings the night before a far-right demonstration that blocked roads into Dover, after activists reportedly converged on the nearby village of Preston-next-Wingham, according to local accounts and activist groups. The village, with just over 920 residents, was said to have been effectively taken over by hundreds of men from Friday afternoon into the early hours of Saturday.
Residents described large numbers of vehicles arriving, with some parked illegally on roads, in a recreation ground, and even in the car park of a local butcher’s business and the primary school. One local told an anti-fascist group that the far-right activists openly boasted in a village pub about plans to move on to Dover to “attack Muslims.” This information was reportedly passed to counter-terrorism police, but according to the group Hope Not Hate, authorities showed little interest. Reports of illegal parking were also made to the police but were said to have gone unaddressed.
Roger Gale, the Member of Parliament for Herne Bay and Sandwich, who lives in Preston-next-Wingham, criticised the police response and challenged the description of the Dover unrest as “spontaneous.” He noted the village appeared unusually busy on Friday night, with around 50 cars occupying the car park and recreation ground even by Saturday morning. Gale called emergency services after spotting the unusual activity and said officers responded promptly, but he plans to write to the Kent Police chief constable seeking clarification on how the gathered information will be used.
Gale further alleged the protest was “carefully coordinated,” involving transport of participants to Dover, possibly in large vans. Video footage from the protest later showed men disembarking from the back of vehicles in Dover early Saturday morning. The far-right action involved approximately 200 people clad in black and wearing masks, who blocked access to the port of Dover for several hours. Kent Police has stated the protest “developed rapidly” and was handled in line with national guidance, based on the intelligence available at the time. No arrests were made during or after the event.
The demonstration was organised by Daniel Thomas, a known associate of far-right activist Tommy Robinson. Thomas leads a group known as Patriot Platform and was also linked to a similar blockade in Portsmouth the following day.
Kent Police have been approached for further comment on the handling of prior intelligence and the protest itself. The incident has triggered renewed scrutiny over police preparedness and response to far-right gatherings in the region.