POLICE officers from Wiltshire will be among the 500 drafted in from across the country as the Met deals with Extinction Rebellion protests in London.

The National Police Coordination Centre is overseeing the process – called mutual aid – by which officers from county forces are being sent to the capital.

A spokesman for the NPCC refused to say how many Wiltshire officers had been volunteered to help police the environment demos that have brought parts of London to a halt.

Wiltshire Police was asked what knock-on affect there would be on policing in the county as a result of officers being assigned to the Metropolitan Police. The force made no comment, aside from pointing the Adver towards the NPCC.

Cops have seized more than 80 tonnes of equipment, including banners and tents, since the Extinction Rebellion protests began on Monday.

Yesterday, elderly protesters were arrested outside Downing Street. As police carried demonstrators down Whitehall, onlookers sang and shouted “we love you”.

Extinction Rebellion protesters plan to shut down City Airport in east London for three days from today.

The demonstrators say they want to occupy the terminal building, with people lying, sitting and gluing themselves in front of the departure and arrivals gates.