SECURITY guards dragged a heckler out of a “Convention of the North” as Prime Minister Boris Johnson addressed a crowd in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, today.

Outside the venue around 150 protesters demonstrated noisily against the Prime Minister, waving placards including one saying “Die in a Ditch.”

The convention was held in the Magna Centre Science Museum, which is a former steelworks in Rotherham.

It was attended by mayors, business leaders and representatives of civic society, including charities.

Mr Johnson was telling guests how more power and decision-making should be moved to local level when the heckler interrupted.

The Morning Star spoke to the evicted protester, charity delegate Ben Gilchrist, who said: “Boris Johnson started to say the normal stuff about levelling up, investment and education.

“Then he said he valued local representation and people’s voices.

“I couldn’t stand it any longer. I was just fed up.

“I lost my patience and stood up and started walking towards him and said ‘What? Like our MPs Boris? You should get back to Parliament and sort out the mess you’ve created!’

“Security guards grabbed me by the arms and started walking me out.

“I yelled that he should sort out the mess and I was ejected from the building.”

Outside the convention, protesters included Sheffield People’s Assembly, Unison, Extinction Rebellion and Stand Up to Racism (SUTR).

SUTR Sheffield co-convenor Sahil Chohan said: “We are waiting for Boris Johnson to come out of his hideaway.”

Mr Chohan said he had been “inspired” to protest after seeing Labour MP for Slough Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi blast the Prime Minister in Parliament for comparing Muslim women to bank robbers.

“We were inspired by how he managed to pin Boris Johnson down for his racist, Islamophobic commentary which he used to play up and provoke a rabble so that he could actually look big,” he commented.

Sheffield University worker and Unite member Martha Foulds said: “I’m here today to make sure Boris Johnson cannot go around without being challenged.

“He has made horrendous comments about women, about people of colour and LGBT people.

“He needs to know that he cannot get away with it and that we will turn out and tell him he is not welcome anywhere.

“Cars are parping in support. It’s great!”