A RIGHT-WING music festival in Falkirk featuring notorious American neo-Nazi band, Bound For Glory, has been cancelled after thousands protested.

About 500 skinheads and fascists were expected to descend on the town for the gig featuring bigoted punk bands.

But according to campaigner Hope Not Hate, the organiser of the concert Vicky Pearson cancelled because she was worried about “adverse media attention and the likelihood that the US band members would be refused entry into this country”.

About 16,000 people had signed a petition calling for the gig to be banned.

After news of the event appeared in our sister paper, the Sunday Herald, Justice Secretary Michael Matheson said he would write to the Home Secretary Amber Rudd in a bid to get the members of the group barred from entering the country.

On their Facebook page, Hope Not Hate wrote: “I can officially announce that the Nazi gig in Falkirk has officially been cancelled by the organisers.

“Citing adverse media attention and the likelihood that the US band members would be refused entry into this country and the venue would cancel the gig, the organisers have stepped in to call off the gig.

“While obviously we will remain vigilant to ensure that organiser Vicky Pearson is true to her word, we can celebrate a huge victory for people power.”

There had been questions over how much Police Scotland knew, with Matthew Collins from Hope Not Hate suggesting officers had met with gig organisers and were working with them to make sure the event went ahead safely.

A spokeswoman for Police Scotland denied the claims and stressed that police were still gathering intelligence.

She said: “Police Scotland regularly works closely with local authority partners to investigate and, where possible, intervene in any event that promotes extremist or racist views.”