LIVE: Thousands of protesters take to Manchester city centre streets ahead of Conservative Party Conference with major police patrols - latest updates

Thousands of protesters are set to flood the streets of Manchester city centre ahead of the Conservative Party Conference. The four-day conference will be based at the Manchester Central convention complex.

A security 'ring of steel' has been established at the venue and at other locations, including the Midland Hotel. Conservative MPs as well as cabinet members and the Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, will attend for debates and keynote speeches, together with hundreds of delegates.

Running from Sunday through to Wednesday next week, it's the eighth Tory annual conference to be held in Manchester city centre since 2009.

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Campaign group The People's Assembly said it was organising a 'national demonstration' and 'Festival of Resistance', due to start at noon, today (Sunday, October 1) at All Saints Park on Oxford Road. Activists, speakers and figures from across trade union movements are due to attend.

A march will take protesters from All Saints, past the conference centre, to Castlefield Bowl.

Demonstrators will march down Oxford Road, turning left onto Chepstow Street by McDonald's. Protesters will then head onto Great Bridgewater Street; turn left at the Britons Protection (the accessible assembly point) onto the A5103; right onto Whitworth Street West; right onto Deansgate; left onto Liverpool Road; left onto Duke Street, then Rice Street, ending at Castlefield Bowl.

GMP Assistant Chief Constable Chris Sykes said: "As always we are expecting a number of peaceful demonstrations to take place over the course of the event and are working