Thousands of anti-war protesters have gathered outside Downing Street to urge MPs to vote against launching air strikes on Islamic State (IS) in Syria.

Actor Mark Rylance, former Respect MP George Galloway and musician Brian Eno were among those to address the demonstrators who waved placards and chanted; "Don't bomb Syria" in Whitehall, central London.

The Stop the War Coalition organised the event as David Cameron gave his strongest indication yet that he will call a vote on British airstrikes in Syria despite Jeremy's Corbyn's opposition to action.

Organisers said they were expecting around 5,000 people to join the rally in London, while smaller protests were being staged at 20 locations across the country including Bristol, Coventry, Manchester, Milton Keynes, Swansea and Norwich.

Addressing the crowd, Diane Abbott said Mr Cameron had apparently been contacting Labour MPs to persuade them to vote for the air strikes.

The shadow international development secretary said: "David Cameron has not made the case for bombing Syria.

"At this point, I do not believe that bombing Syria will make it safe, any more than bombing Iraq made Iraq safe, bombing Afghanistan made Afghanistan safe and bombing Libya made Libya safe.

"I believe and I hope under Jeremy Corbyn's leadership, Labour MPs in Parliament will do the right thing."

Mr Rylance said he feared bombing IS in Syria may make the militant group stronger.

"You can't just write these people off as psychopaths and sociopaths," the Bridge Of Spies star said.

"Some of them may be but some of them are just very, very angry, determined people.

"We need to look more deeply at the causes rather than just blow the place to smithereens.

"I fear we may be playing right into what they want - bombing more civilians and therefore helping them recruit more desperate young men with no other way in responding in their grief than by fighting back."