Protesters invaded last night's Southend Council meeting to show their opposition to the proposed road-widening at Priory Crescent.

About 30 people disrupted the full council meeting, which was halted for about 15 minutes.

Protest group Parklife said hundreds of people demonstrated outside the Civic Centre before they went inside.

One demonstrator was marched out by police after the mayor's pleas for quiet were ignored.

The protest had been organised by Camp Bling campaigners, who have been fighting the road scheme for the past six years.

They set up camp in Priory Park to prevent the road from being dualled.

Although the road-widening was not discussed at the meeting, demonstrators picked last night because it was a full council meeting and all councillors were attending.

Shaun Qureshi, a Camp Bling member who was organising the protest, said: "This is just about finding ways to get the message across. It doesn't seem to come up on agendas very often."