More than 120 farmers driving tractors set off for the centre of Brighton today to protest at the Labour conference.
The fleet of tractors accompanied by dozens more four wheel drive vehicles was due to join up with 150 NFU campaigners and 2,000 protesters from the Countryside Alliance at the Brighton centre.
The two groups aim to lobby conference delegates over the plight of the farming industry, which they say has been hit by soaring fuel prices and red tape, and plans to ban fox hunting.
The Countryside Alliance was parading past the Brighton Centre on carnival-style floats, one carrying a miniature jail symbolic of the proposed criminalisation of hunting.
Those on foot were waving placards, inviting Tony Blair to "come on down and meet the people".
Dozens of police officers were maintaining a secure ring around the Brighton Centre but said they expected the protests to be peaceful.
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