MP Mark Francois has spoken out about his disapproval of aggressive protests after he was criticised for stating "all lives matter".

The MP for Rayleigh and Wickford, criticised attempts by violent protesters to "defile" the statue of Winston Churchill in Parliament Square.

He posted on his social media and pointed out the Prime Minister's recent statement condemning such damage.

He said:"...Like everyone else, I was appalled by the footage showing what happened to George Floyd in Minneapolis and I hope that those responsible are rapidly brought to justice by the authorities in the United States.

"Nevertheless, this awful incident in no way justifies left wing activists attacking a statue of a national hero, or indeed, attempting to set fire to the Union Flag at the Cenotaph – our national memorial to the fallen.

"People only enjoy a right to democratic protest because our forebears fought and died in two world wars, so that we can live in a free country but under a rule of law.

"Without their sacrifice, protestors could not march down Whitehall and disagree with the Government of the day about anything. In Communist China - which has effectively imprisoned over 1 million Muslims, for having the temerity to believe in God - they would simply disappear in the middle of the night.

"I am sure that there are members of the Black Lives Matter Campaign who are genuine in their wish to combat racism, but this in no way justifies violence or thuggery or an attempt to re-write history as if in George Orwell’s novel, 1984."

Mr Francois went on to say: "Finally, Winston Churchill was voted the greatest ever Briton, a few years ago in a nationwide BBC poll, not least because he led us through a war of national survival, against the Nazi, Adolf Hitler, who murdered six million Jews because of their religion.

"People who attempt to attack Churchill, are not only historically illiterate, they simply serve to undermine the cause in which they purport to believe."