Thousands join London protest against Aghan war

Thousands of protesters took to the streets in London to march against the war in Afghanistan today as Nato leaders discussed bringing an end to the nine-year conflict.

Demonstrators were led by military families as they carried anti-war placards and banners against cuts to government spending.

As the march moved from Hyde Park, central London, protesters chanted: “When they say warfare, we say welfare”.

The demonstration took place as British Prime Minister David Cameron attended a Nato summit in Lisbon, where an agreement was reached which will see Afghan forces take over full responsibility for the country’s security in 2014.

The coalition government has stated that Britain’s combat role in Afghanistan will end by 2015.

Guardsman Christopher Davies, who was killed on Wednesday in Helmand, was the 100th British member of Britain's armed forces to die this year after being deployed to Afghanistan.

Organisers said 10,000 people attended the demonstration and that there were no reports of trouble.

A spokesman for the Metropolitan Police said there had been no arrests but would not make an estimate of the crowd's size.