Crowd gathers outside hotel containing Pakistan under-19 cricket team

An international cricket team became the mistaken focus of an anti-migrant protest after being spotted entering a hotel in Portsmouth.

Reform county councillor George Madgwick said about 30 to 40 people gathered outside the Marriott Hotel in Cosham on Tuesday evening, amid false rumours that a group of migrants had arrived by bus.

In a now-deleted Facebook post, he urged people not to attend, saying hotel staff showed him "proof" the guests were the touring Pakistan under-19 national cricket team.

Hampshire Constabulary confirmed officers responded to reports of a gathering outside the hotel shortly before 18:30 BST.

A police spokesperson said officers spoke to the people "who were expressing concerns about a coach that had been seen in the area".

"The officers explained that their concerns were not correct," they said, adding: "No offences were identified."

The crowd of about 30 people left shortly before 21:00, the spokesperson said.

In his Facebook post, which was removed on Wednesday morning, Madgwick said: "I visited the manager and the hotel explained it was the Pakistani cricket team staying.

"The cricket team coach came to speak to me personally and I saw proof (hotel were happy to provide)."

Speaking to the BBC, he said: "Someone online saw a group of what looked like foreign nationals leaving the coach and put a photo of it online and that's where it spurred from.

"It was mere speculation rather than based on truth or fact.

"In this case they have made a grave error, a grave mistake."

Responding to criticism and comments on his Facebook post, Madgwick denied the reaction to the cricketers' arrival had been racist.

He said: "I think one person made the assumption and everybody else followed that assumption.

"It isn't a good reflection on our city.

"It's not something I want our city to be known for."

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