A VISIT by Prime Minister Boris Johnson was apparently abandoned today because of potential protests.

Dehenna Davison, the Conservative candidate for Bishop Auckland accused protestors of “blocking” a visit by the Prime Minister to Barnard Castle this afternoon.

In a video posted on social media, she said: “A lot of people turned up to protest in really ridiculous ways, blocking the visit and trying to cause trouble.

"If this is the state of democracy, it says an awful lot that the Prime Minister can’t come into a town, meet some of the people who were really looking forward to meeting him and support my campaign."

“The Prime Minister is here in the North-East, coming here to support North-East candidates and it’s Labour that’s blocking him.”

The Northern Echo:

About 20 Labour campaigners had posted a picture of themselves in Barnard Castle earlier in the day while one Twitter user had claimed to have been waiting in the town with a milkshake.

Labour candidate Helen Goodman said: “I saw a photo and it looked like fewer than 20 people including some old ladies and a dog. If the Prime Minister can’t talk to 20 people I think that’s a bit of a poor show.”

She added: “What the Prime Minster does is up to him. He hasn’t had a very good day. Maybe he was feeling tired.”

Mr Johnson has been on a rapid tour of Labour-held, Brexit-voting seats, including those in Sunderland and Grimsby.

Barnard Castle is in the Bishop Auckland constituency which is held by Labour’s Helen Goodman with a slender 502-vote majority.

This would have been Mr Johnson’s first visit to the constituency, although he has come close during the campaign by calling in on Newton Aycliffe, Darlington and Stockton.