A carol service hosted by far-right activist Tommy Robinson has drawn a smaller-than-expected crowd.

Around 1000 people turned up to the event, billed as “putting the Christ back into Christmas.” Metropolitan Police had labelled it a protest, in light of Robinson’s ‘Unite the Kingdom’ rally, which by contrast drew over 110,000 people in September.

The carol event was peaceful, despite one nearby arrest.

Robinson, who was born Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, told the crowd he used to “hate the church,” until he met a pastor whilst in prison, who taught him about the Bible.

He was joined on stage by members of Spirit Embassy, a British-Zimbabwean church.

Arun Arora, the bishop of Kirkstall in the diocese of Leeds, said he was concerned that it signalled “the far right… parking their tanks on the front lawn of the Church of England.”

“We must challenge any agenda that seeks to narrow the Christian faith to one flag,” he added.