Thousands of protestors are expected in Birmingham ahead of tonight’s Europa League clash between Aston Villa and Maccabi Tel Aviv, with more than 700 officers being deployed to try and keep the peace.

Concerns over the match going ahead have increased overnight after gangs of masked Muslim protestors posted 'Zionists not welcome' signs around Birmingham.

Such is the fear of heightened tensions between Palestinian supporters and pro-Israeli campaigners that nearby schools are set to close early.

A no-fly zone will also be placed around Villa Park for the duration of the Europa League match, which is set to kick off at 8pm.

The scale of the police operation is unprecedented given that - officially – no supporters of the visiting side will be present.

Maccabi Tel Aviv - the only Israeli side to reach the league stage of the European competition this season - have seen their fans banned from attending the match by Birmingham's Safety Advisory Group after West Midlands Police last month deemed the fixture 'high risk'. 

This prompted widespread public and political criticism, including from Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who branded the move as the 'wrong decision' and akin to 'antisemitism'.

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Out more than 126,000 votes, 92 percent said 'Rachel Reeves' and just 8 percent said 'previous governments'.