Liberty will monitor rally against cuts

Civil liberties campaigners have been asked by police to act as legal observers at this month's anti-cuts march following heavy criticism of the "kettling" of protesters during the G20 demonstrations of 2009 and last year's student tuition fee protests.

The rally in central London on 26 March is expected to attract at least 200,000 marchers.

In an unprecedented move, Scotland Yard and the TUC have invited Liberty to monitor the march. About 200 legally- qualified volunteers will join the march while others will watch from the Met's operations centre.