Protesting neo-Nazis were outnumbered by counter-demonstrators as they took to the streets in central London today.

The small number of right-winger demonstrators were voicing their opposition to the Shomrim, a Jewish neighbourhood watch group.

Their numbers in Whitehall were dwarfed by counter-demonstrators as they made speeches through a megaphone from behind a line of police.

The handful of neo-Nazis were targeted with chants of "Nazi scum - off our streets" as they chanted "Shomrim - off our streets".

And 'No to the Nazis' signs were held outside of Downing Street ahead of the protest.

At the end of the protest, the 20 or so neo-Nazis were escorted to Westminster Tube station by large numbers of officers.

Many of the hundreds of counter protesters followed them, hurling abuse, and one of them urged one of the neo-Nazis to leave his escort to fight with him.

When it became clear the right-wingers were being escorted down steps and towards the station, one of the pursuers adapted the cry "Nazi scum - off our streets" to "Nazi scum - off our Tubes".

Officers accompanied the neo-Nazis through the barrier and towards the trains.

The demo was originally due to be held in the strongly Jewish community of Golders Green, north-west London, but was rescheduled instead to a static demonstration in Whitehall, central London.

The Metropolitan Police decided to impose conditions under the Public Order Act 1986, including moving the original demonstration, saying "the presence of this protest group, and resultant counter-protests by opposition groups in the same area at the same time, is likely to result in serious disorder, serious disruption to the life of the community and the intimidation of others".

They said senior officers do not have the legal power to ban a static protest, have a duty to safeguard the right to protest and cannot impose unreasonable restrictions upon that right.

The outrage sparked by the plans for the original neo-Nazi demonstration quickly led to a campaign dubbed Golders Green Together (GGT).

It was set up by the London Jewish Forum and Hope Not Hate after the neo-Nazis announced their intention to hold a rally in the London suburb to protest against its "jewification".

Over recent weeks GGT has leafleted the area, lobbied MPs and the police, and urged local shops to drape their properties with gold and green banners and ribbons as a symbol of defiance.

Dave Rich, of the Community Security Trust, a charity which protects British Jews from anti-semitism and related threats, said they were pleased the protest was moved. He said they still had a security presence at Golders Green though they did not expect an plans for protesters to turn up there, it was instead to "[cover] all eventualities"

Mr Rich added: "For neo-Nazis to hold an explicitly anti-Jewish demonstration in Golders Green in the heart of the Jewish community on a Saturday, the Sabbath when Jewish people would be going to and from the synagogue, would obviously be intimidatory and cause offence - which is probably what it was intended to do.

"The neo-Nazis can still have their demonstration."

A statement made by the Anti-Fascist Network, which urged people to join the counter-demonstration, said ahead of the protest: "The current small upsurge we are seeing in this country in the old-school neo-Nazi far-right goes to prove the point that racism against anyone increases racism against everyone. Once the toxic cancer of racism is allowed to grow through the medium of 'acceptable' Islamophobia and anti-immigrant xenophobia, it can only spread in all directions.

"For this reason we call on everyone who is opposed to the Nazi demonstration on Saturday to join the growing anti-racist and anti-fascist movement and take a stand against anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, fascism, racism and oppression in all its forms.

"We oppose fascism wherever it rears its ugly head and hope you'll stand together with us and many others the next time the far-right try to march."