Anti-cuts march: Inside the police control centre

About 4,500 officers are on duty during a protest march in central London against government spending cuts.

More than 600 coaches and dozens of trains were laid on to bring public sector workers, community groups and students to what is expected to be the biggest union protest in a generation.

The Metropolitan Police has said it will be working hard to prevent a repeat of the violence during the student demonstrations in London in November and December last year.

The BBC's Tom Symonds spoke to Commander Bob Broadhurst about how the police had planned for the march.