Prime Minister Andy Burnham has warned Labour politicians that they must stop the "politics of poison seeping into our streets", following a weekend of unrest during anti-migrant demonstrations across southern England.

Addressing MPs and peers at a closed-doors meeting of the Parliamentary Labour Party on Monday, Mr Burnham said the government’s responsibility is to counter fear with hope, telling colleagues that the party must focus on showing the public that politics can actively improve their lives.

The comments came after two separate protests caused disruption over the weekend. On Saturday, groups of masked men obstructed roads leading to the Port of Dover, an action Kent Police stated appeared to be spontaneous.

Tensions escalated further on Sunday in Portsmouth, where more than 200 protesters attempted to stop coaches taking migrants for processing. The transport had been arranged after around 120 people arrived in a boat near the Isle of Wight earlier that afternoon.

The confrontation in Portsmouth led to damage to official vehicles and left a small number of police officers injured. Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary has confirmed it is now investigating potential assaults and criminal damage connected to the incident.

Policing minister Sarah Jones told the Commons earlier that there was "no excuse" for threatening behaviour, warning that any demonstrators who cross from peaceful protest into criminal activity will face the full force of the law. She also labelled Patriot Platform, the group claiming to have organised the Dover blockade, as "far-right racist".

During his address to backbenchers, Mr Burnham sought to set a positive direction ahead of the autumn party conference. He told the room that Labour goes into the new season "in really good heart, with a spring in our step", urging MPs never to accept the narrative that nothing can be done to fix the country's problems.

The opposition took a different view of the weekend’s events. Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp said that while the right to protest should never be exercised violently, ministers need to leave the European Convention on Human Rights and deport illegal arrivals immediately if they want to end public anger.

Pressure has also emerged from Labour’s own benches. Mike Tapp, the Labour MP for Dover and a former migration minister, called on Mr Burnham to convene an emergency Cobra meeting, describing small boat crossings as an uncontrolled border issue and a national emergency.

What we don't know yet is the full outcome of the police inquiries in Hampshire, including whether specific arrests will be made following the clashes in Portsmouth.

With Parliament returning to full business and party conferences approaching, border enforcement and public order will remain high on the political agenda. I'll be following this one — check back for updates as developments unfold.