The anti-racism demonstrations had passed off almost entirely peacefully after police flooded the streets of numerous English towns and cities and reiterated violence by suspected far-right agitators would not be tolerated.

It follows a week of near-nightly riots — during which mosques and migrant-related facilities have been attacked — nationwide and in Northern Ireland.

The violence was fuelled by misinformation spread on social media about the suspected perpetrator of a knife attack on July 29 which killed three children.

London’s Metropolitan Police chief Mark Rowley, who ordered thousands of officers onto the streets of the capital on Wednesday, said he was really pleased with how events unfolded.

Attention will now turn to the coming weekend and whether there will be a repeat of the disorder then. Some of the worst scenes of violence were recorded last weekend.

Junior interior minister Diana Johnson cautioned that Wednesday’s respite was “just the start”.

The government had put 6,000 specialist police on standby to deal with scores of potential flashpoints after far-right social media channels called for protests at an array of sites linked to immigration support services.

The unrest, Britain’s worst since the 2011 London riots, has seen hundreds arrested and at least 120 charged and has led several countries to issue travel warnings for the UK.