The London arms fair has opened to a storm of controversy, with protests outside Parliament, the offices of arms companies and at the gates to the event itself.

The UK government appears to be withholding information on the countries issued with official invitations to next week's London arms fair.

The London Chamber of Commerce have been accused of running scared from public opinion after moving a seminar for arms dealers to an undisclosed location.

Representatives of the arms industry and UK government are to speak at a seminar that extols the sale of arms to repressive regimes in the Middle East.