Dozens of police officers have broken up a protest staged in Newcastle city centre on the first day of the coronavirus lockdown.
Old Eldon Square was flooded with police with cars, vans and horses called to a demonstration being held at around midday on Thursday.
Up to 50 people had gathered in what appeared to be a protest about child abuse in Newcastle just hours after new lockdown restrictions had come into force.
Northumbria Police said they had been made aware of the protest, which are now banned under the new rules.
Demonstrations were exempt from restrictions on gatherings during the first national lockdown, with a series of Black Lives Matter rallies and anti-lockdown protests taking place over the summer.
But strict rules preventing people from meeting more than one other person during the second national lockdown now apply to protests.
Officers broke up the crowd, with the majority of protesters dispersing voluntarily. However, one participant was issued a dispersal notice - an order which forces non-residents to leave an area - after failing to comply with police.
A Northumbria Police spokesman said: "We were made aware of a planned protest in Newcastle city centre earlier today.
"Under the current coronavirus legislation, protests are not exempt from the restrictions that have been put in place to prevent the spread of the virus.
"Individuals are allowed to gather in groups of two people and some members of this particular group of protesters were adhering to those rules.
Do you agree with the lockdown measures imposed? Have your say by taking our short survey
"However, when those smaller groups began to congregate more closely officers asked the group to disperse and the vast majority did so voluntarily.
"One individual refused to comply with police and so was issued with a dispersal notice and summonsed to court.
"The safety of everyone, including those participating in protests, other members of the public and our officers will always be our upmost priority, and we will have a proportionate policing response in place for any events of this nature."
