Pro-EU protesters have descended on a major Reform UK rally. Nigel Farage's party is holding an event in Birmingham this evening to launch its local election campaign.

Around a dozen protesters gathered outside Arena Birmingham hours before the rally kicked off. Some were waving EU flags, while another wore a blue and gold hat.

Reform has claimed the event will be "the biggest ever launch rally in modern British political history".

Around 10,000 supporters are expected to attend the evening do.

It comes as Reform is seeking to move on from the civil war that erupted earlier this month over the ousting of one of its MPs.

Splits emerged when Great Yarmouth MP Rupert Lowe questioned Mr Farage's leadership in an interview.

Mr Lowe was subsequently suspended over allegations of office bulling and claims of verbal threats against party chairman Zia Yusuf, which he strongly denies.

Ahead of the rally, Mr Farage told the BBC his party "might have had a problem with one MP" but would go into the local elections on May 1 "with a very upbeat agenda".

He said: "We are going to point out to people the extent to which local government is broken in Britain and why it needs new people."