Officers from five different forces were brought in to police an anti-immigration protest that fizzled out within three hours.

Anti-immigration protesters congregated at 11am outside Bournemouth town hall on Sunday but were met with activists from Stand Up to Racism on the other side of the road in Central Gardens with drums and loudspeakers.

But the stand-off faded into lone echoes of “stop the boats” from the crowd of anti-immigration protesters, who were drastically outnumbered by counter-protesters.

The protest appeared to end after just a few hours, with the whole thing wrapped up just after 2pm.

Tommy Robinson, the founder of the English Defence League, praised the Bournemouth anti-immigration protesters online as the group took up their position in front of the town hall.

Dorset Police, which had already been armed with extra search powers ahead of the demonstration, was joined at the site by officers from the Met, Thames Valley, Hampshire, Avon and Somerset and Devon and Cornwall, under a mutual-aid arrangement.

All five forces left the scene after only two-and-a-half hours.

A handful of 20 protesters draped in England and Union flags remained seated on the wall of the town hall in a lonely stand-off against 80 Stand Up to Racism counter-protesters who had congregated in a walled garden across the road.

Footage shared online shows counter-protesters chanting: “Stop the racists, now, now, now” and “Bournemouth is anti-fascist”.

Greg Smith, a Conservative MP, told The Telegraph: “Police have to use resources to combat these protests, but it seems a bit odd to me to use five forces who have their own challenges to deal with. This will impact on day-to-day policing.”

When asked about the Government’s response to the protests the UK has seen in recent weeks, Mr Smith added: “We have to make sure these rioters are stamped out and stamped out hard. Even if [the protest] is anti-climatic, we need as a country to be combating this behaviour as a whole.”

Dorset Police was contacted by The Telegraph for comment.

Princess Lilibet has “finally found her voice” at the age of three, the Duchess of Sussex has said.

Speaking on a panel at an Afro Women and Power event on the last day of the couple’s Colombia tour, Meghan said she has tried to help her daughter find her voice and is “so proud” she has.

She said: “So I think part of the role-modelling that I certainly try to do as a mother is to encourage our daughter, who at three, has found her voice.

She added: “We’re so proud of that, because that is how we, as I was saying, create the conditions in which there’s a ripple effect of young girls and young women knowing that someone else is encouraging them to use their voice and be heard.”

The Duchess, 43, also said men should help empower women like Prince Harry.

She said her role as a mother and a parent was to make sure young girls feel their voices are being heard and “also that young boys are being raised to listen”.

“The same goes for adult women and men – this isn’t something that can be solely responsible and in the hands of just women,” she added.

“Yes, we work incredibly well together as a team, but as my husband is great testament to, the role of men in this, of empowering women, of allowing them to know that their voices are heard, starting at a young age all the way through adulthood, is key.”

Earlier Meghan said she found “inspiration in so many of the strong women that are around me. Of course, my mother being one of them”.

She also said she had managed to unwind on the couple’s four-day trip.

“You may have noticed that my husband and I were talking about this morning, I’m just really relaxed on this trip.”

She added: “That’s probably because it’s Colombia and you all know how to have fun.”

Meghan started by delivering her remarks in Spanish and said she and Harry could “feel the embrace from Colombia”.

“Sorry if my Spanish is not perfect because I learnt 20 years ago in Argentina, but I’m trying because here I can feel this community and this feeling which is the best in the world,” she said.

Meghan also thanked Francia Márquez, the vice-president, whom she called “my friend”.

Ms Marquez’s remarks were briefly interrupted by a heckler who spoke about the lack of inclusion of trans women.

Before the discussion, the Duke and Duchess were seen in the front row clapping and enthusiastically nodding their heads to musical performances.

The couple were then expected to join 500,000 festival goers at the final day of the Petronio Alvarez music festival, the largest Afro-Colombian celebration in the country.

Cali, along with Cartagena, are the two cities with the largest proportion of Colombians with African descent, according to the UN’s Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean.

On Saturday, Ms Marquez called the Duke and Duchess “a symbol of resistance” ahead of the final day of their quasi-royal tour.

They visited Escuela Taller Tambores de Cabildo, in the coastal city of Cartagena, where they took part in a drumming lesson and heard about the community’s efforts to preserve its heritage.

At the event Ms Marquez thanked Prince Harry and Meghan for visiting Colombia.

“We are grateful that both of them are here because for me they are also a symbol of resistance, of rebellion,” she said.

She added: “We do not remain silent in the face of injustice and we raise our voices from wherever we are.”

The country’s first black, female vice-president had revealed earlier that she had been moved to invite the couple after watching their six-part Netflix series.

Harry and Meghan’s decision to visit Colombia, for what has been dubbed a DIY royal tour, has raised eyebrows in light of Harry’s previous comments about security concerns in the UK.

The Foreign Office advises against travel to some parts of the country.

The couple started their four-day trip in Bogota, the capital, where Harry discussed online harms in comments that appeared to make a thinly veiled swipe at  Elon Musk, the billionaire owner of X.

They also visited a school in the city’s Santa Fe region.

On Saturday the pair travelled to San Basilio de Palanque, a walled town about 30 miles south of Cartagena, which was founded by runaway slaves.

They were shown around what is believed to be South America’s first free town and is seen as an important part of African heritage and resistance.

They were also treated to musical performances and shown the statue of Benkos Biohó, the town’s founder. 

The trip has been tightly controlled with limited press access and an intense security operation.

The King has heaped further pressure on the Duke of York by axing his ten-strong private security team, it has emerged.

It means that Prince Andrew will be forced to find millions of pounds to fund future security operations at Royal Lodge, his Windsor home, if he wants to avoid eviction.

The security guards have been told their services will no longer be required from the autumn, according to reports.

A source told the Sun on Sunday: “Everyone is speculating this means the Duke will have to leave the Royal Lodge because what other reason could there be to take his security away?

“They are all working the final weeks of their contract till the end of October. It’s not thought anyone is being lined up to replace them. It isn’t a secret that the King wants him out.”

The Telegraph revealed in January that the King was prepared to withdraw the private funding he ploughs into the security operation in what has become an increasingly bitter standoff over the future of Royal Lodge.

However, at the time, the Duke did not believe his elder brother would be so unkind, it is understood.

His determination to remain at the home, which he also shares with his ex-wife, Sarah, Duchess of York, has proved an increasing bone of contention.

Having been stripped of his patronages and duties as a working member of the Royal family, it is considered too vast a property for someone befitting his new status.

Attempts to relocate him to the much smaller Frogmore Cottage, the Windsor property that until recently the Duke and Duchess of Sussex called home, have so far proved unsuccessful.

The Duke is said to be determined to bequeath the lease on Royal Lodge to his daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie.

But by insisting he pay for his own security, Buckingham Palace courtiers know they may force his hand.

In May, one palace source warned: “As things stand, life at Royal Lodge is set to become increasingly cold and uncomfortable for the Duke.”

Weeks later, a source said the move could either be accomplished “with grace and dignity or it can be forced upon him”.

The latest salvo will all but force the beleaguered Duke out of the vast, 30-room property unless he can conjure up a small fortune. He has no discernible income and the house is in need of extensive repairs.

The Duke’s lease gives him the right to live in the Grade II-listed property until 2078. But the contract includes a clause that he must maintain it to an appropriate standard.

The terms of the 75-year lease agreement with the Crown Estate, which was signed in 2003 and expires in 2079, requires the Duke to repaint the house every five years and also to “repair, renew, uphold, clean and keep in repair and where necessary rebuild” the property.

One source previously insisted that he would not be evicted “so long as he can fulfil his contractual obligations”.

The disgraced Duke stepped down from royal duties in 2019 following a disastrous Newsnight interview in which he failed to express regret over his former friendship with the late Jeffrey Epstein, the US financier and convicted sex offender.

He later paid several million pounds to settle a civil case brought against him by Virginia Giuffre, one of Epstein’s victims, who claimed he had abused her, although he did not admit liability.

The Duke has consistently denied all charges, but the King has remained adamant that he will not be permitted to reprise any of his public roles.

Prince Andrew’s own finances have long remained opaque, seemingly structured around a string of secretive business dealings.

The Duke’s office could not be contacted for comment. Buckingham Palace said it did not comment on security matters.

Weekly small boat crossings have reached their highest level since Sir Keir Starmer became Prime Minister, new figures show.

Some 1,427 people crossed the Channel in small boats in the past seven days, according to Home Office data.

Last Sunday, Aug 11, saw the highest number of crossings in a day since the Labour leader entered No 10, with 703 people making the journey.

The figures showed that 492 people made the crossing in nine boats on Saturday Aug 17 – the second highest daily number since Labour took power.

Some 107 arrived on Wednesday and 125 on Monday.

The third highest daily number came on July 15, within a week of Labour taking power, with 427 people crossing in nine boats.

The total crossing in the past seven days takes the provisional total for the year so far to 19,066.

Since Labour took office there have been a total 5,491 crossings in small boats, with 717 in the party’s first week of power; 1,426 in the second week; 484 in the third week; 829 in the fourth week; 608 in the fifth week; and the past week’s total.

The highest number of arrivals recorded in a single day so far this year was 882 on June 18, with the second highest of 711 on May 1 – both under the previous Conservative government.

The Government has indicated that it expects to see more crossings as traffickers take advantage of the summer’s good weather over the Channel.

The Conservatives have condemned Labour’s decision to ditch the previous government’s plan to deport migrants to Rwanda, which they claimed would deter Channel crossings.

James Cleverly, the shadow home secretary and a Tory leadership candidate, said: “When Labour ditched our deterrent they sent a dangerous signal to the people smugglers that they were not willing to take the tough action necessary to control our borders, and the smugglers are reaping the benefits.

“And over a month later, they still have not appointed anyone to run their phantom Border Command.

“This new Government must urgently take action to get a grip on these ever rising crossing numbers.”

Mel Stride, another Tory leadership hopeful, said: “An effective illegal migration policy has to involve a strong deterrent. We are seeing small boat crossings increase significantly after just a few weeks of a Labour government, showing that going soft on deterrence does not work.

“Labour’s approach means more people risking their lives and makes our country less secure.”

Labour promised ahead of the election to “smash the gangs” bringing migrants across the Channel by creating a new Border Security Command.

Officers will be granted new powers under the Counter Terrorism Act to allow them to conduct stop and searches at the border, carry out financial investigations and issue search and seizure warrants targeting organised immigration crime.

Sir Keir has also announced £84 million of funding for African and Middle Eastern countries in an attempt to tackle the migration crisis “at source”.

He has said the money will go towards health and education initiatives and humanitarian support to address the underlying causes that lead people to flee their homes in the first place.

A Home Office spokesman said: “We all want to see an end to dangerous small boat crossings, which are undermining border security and putting lives at risk.

“The new Government is taking steps to boost our border security, setting up a new Border Security Command which will bring together our intelligence and enforcement agencies, equipped with new counter-terror-style powers and hundreds of personnel stationed in the UK and overseas, to smash the criminal smuggling gangs making millions in profit.”

Former Marvel actor Brian Cox has said superhero movie franchises are ruining cinema.

The Succession star said that film was in a “very bad way” owing to the financial draw of comic-book adaptations.

Cox said that the glut of high-paying, high-grossing films has made it “party time” for actors who can get a big payout from such movies, but is harmful for cinema overall.

The actor, 78, has first-hand experience of the phenomenon, having dabbled in the genre in 2024 when he starred in X2: X-Men United alongside Hugh Jackman.

He played Dr William Stryker, the man responsible for creating Wolverine.

Speaking at the Edinburgh International Film Festival, Cox said: “What’s happened is that television is doing what cinema used to do.

“I think cinema is in a very bad way. I think it’s lost its place because of, partly, the grandiose element between Marvel, DC and all of that. And I think it’s beginning to implode. You’re kind of losing the plot.”

Cox raised concerns that the financial incentives for studios and actors meant that the churn of films would be likely to continue.

He said his acting colleagues were “making a lot of money that’ll make everybody happy, but in terms of the work, it becomes diluted afterwards”, adding “you’re getting the same-old”.

Since 2008, 33 Marvel films have been released, and they have dominated the box office.

Avengers: Endgame made almost $3 billion and became the highest-grossing film of the last 10 years. Three other Marvel films feature in the top 10.

Spider-Man, which has been made nine times in various different ways, initially had three instalments from 2002 to 2007 with Tobey Maguire starring.

Since that time, Spider-Man has been portrayed by Andrew Garfield in The Amazing Spider-Man and its sequel; and Tom Holland in Spider-Man: Homecoming and Spider-Man: Far from Home.

The character was then voiced by actor Shameik Moore in the animated version of Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.

There have, to date, been three Guardians of the Galaxy films, and Robert Downey Jr starred in three Iron Man films before his character was swept into the four Avengers crossovers, which bring together characters from different Marvel franchises.

This crossover features the character of Thor, played by Chris Hemsworth, who has also played the character three times in a separate trilogy.

The Hulk has been played by Eric Bana, Edward Norton and Mark Ruffalo in the character’s multiple cinematic outings, while Australian star Jackman has appeared in his role as Wolverine in 10 different films, with another scheduled for release this year.

This is a crossover with the character Deadpool, played by Ryan Reynolds, who has already appeared in two prior films in the franchise.

Hollywood star Chris Evans has played the character of Captain America in 11 different films, and the character is set for another franchise instalment this year, with Anthony Mackie taking over as the shield-bearing superhero.

Samuel L Jackson holds the record for appearances in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and has appeared as the character Nick Fury 15 times since 2008.

The production line of comic-book films has been criticised by many for lacking artistic seriousness, and Cox told an audience in Edinburgh that actors “who do this stuff” can “make a lot of money” by accepting roles in the various spin-offs.

He warned, however, that “in terms of the work, it becomes diluted afterwards”.

Cox is not the only actor to have accepted a Marvel job and then spoken out against the dominance of the brand, with Sir Anthony Hopkins complaining that it was “pointless” trying to act in the Thor franchise he appeared in.

Idris Elba, who had played Nelson Mandela in a prior role, said that “it ripped [his] heart out” to see himself absurdly costumed in the same Thor franchise.

Ben Affleck, who played the superhero Daredevil, described what he perceived to be the studio approach to superhero films in 2003, saying: “There was a cynical sense of ‘put a red leather outfit on a guy, have him run around, hunt some bad guys and cash the cheque’.”

Concerns about the Marvel product have also been shared by those making the films.

Earlier this year, Disney announced that it would cut production of Marvel films and TV spin-offs to avoid interest in the franchise being exhausted.

Bob Iger, the company’s chief executive, said it would aim to “focus more on quality” and reduce its output of superhero fare.

The films have been commercial hits, and but recent underperformance at the box office has led to some concern that the appetite for the franchise has begun to wane.

However, more films are in the works, with two more Avengers films set to be released in 2026 and 2027, respectively, and an entirely new branch of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the Fantastic Four, is set to be launched in 2025.