Whitehall in London has been closed due to a serious gas leak, and will remain shut for “some time”, police have said.

       The Metropolitan Police has said officers are in the process of making “alternative arrangements” for the protests due to take place in the area on Sunday.

       It comes as hundreds of Ukrainians and supporters gathered outside Downing Street this week, calling for Vladimir Putin to withdraw his forces from the country.

       Tweeting on Sunday, the force said: “Whitehall has been closed due to a serious gas leak, and is likely to remain closed for some time.

       “We are in the process of making alternative arrangements for planned protests in the area today.

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       “If you are attending, please follow the instructions of police officers. Thank you.”

       It comes after people yesterday threw eggs at the Russian embassy in London in protest against the invasion.

       Demonstrators covered a wall with Ukrainian flags and messages of support for the country under siege on Saturday, as part of a series of events in countries around the world.

       In London, protesters called for Russian president Vladimir Putin to withdraw his forces from Ukraine, singing the Ukrainian national anthem and chanting “Putin stop war” and “Putin go home”.

       Labour said the government’s refusal to relax visa restrictions for Ukrainians seeking sanctuary in the UK was “immoral” at a time when the country was under fire.

       But home scretary Priti Patel hit back, accusing the opposition of “appalling misinformation” and saying the claims were “simply untrue”.

       Speaking during a visit to Birmingham, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer urged ministers to adopt a “humanitarian approach” to people “fleeing for their lives”.

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       As the Russia-Ukraine war enters its fourth day, heavy fighting has erupted in Ukraine’s second city as Putin’s troops entered Kharkiv in the early hours of Sunday morning.

       Major attacks overnight included a gas pipeline outside Kharkiv that was set alight by Russian military personnel, and an oil depot in Vasylkiv near Kyiv that was destroyed by a Russian missile strike.