Police declared their handling of the English Defence League protest a success – despite attacks on officers and skirmishes across the city centre.

Supporters of the English Defence League (EDL) pelted officers with bottles, cans, bricks and coins during their two-hour protest on Saturday.

Another group of its followers broke through police lines to engage in running battles with local youths and officers.

However, police and Leicester City Council have praised residents for largely shunning the event, which saw the largest police deployment in Leicestershire since the miners' strike 25 years ago.

The county's temporary deputy chief constable Gordon Fraser said: "The success of the operation is due to a number of factors, not least the support from Leicester City Council in preparing the city for the event and the co-operation of the Leicester public, who listened to our messages and refused to get drawn into the demonstrations."

Yesterday, police said they had arrested 17 people but that incidents of damage were low and that no serious injuries had been reported.

However, one police officer's leg was broken during ugly scuffles with EDL supporters after the group's protest in Humberstone Gate East got under way at 2pm.

A number of the group's protesters were treated by paramedics, mostly for minor facial or head injuries.

Police estimate 1,000 EDL supporters were present in Humberstone Gate East, while the counter protest organised by Leicester Unite Against Fascism drew 700 people.

When they gathered at 2pm, the groups were separated by three-metre steel fences and a 100-metre stretch of the street.

Police deployed 1,400 officers from 12 forces. The operation was supported by a further 600 officers and staff.

Despite a relatively peaceful beginning to the day, violence flared almost as soon as the EDL supporters began to mass in Humberstone Gate East.

People in the group's section threw missiles including bottles, coins, beer cans and bricks at police lines and members of the media.

Several fireworks were set off and at least two smoke bombs were thrown from the EDL section.

The fireworks seemed to be directed specifically at four police horses in Wharf Street South as the crowd's mood began to turn.

Jessica Baker, 29, of Highfields, Leicester, was left visibly shaken after one landed next to her feet.

She said: "I saw it coming out of the sky and then there was a big flash of light right in front of me, it was really scary.

"I just came to observe and to see what the EDL would be like. They were just living up to their stereotype, they acted like caged animals."

Others in the EDL section could be seen goading and spitting at police and there were several violent confrontations with officers, who were wearing full protective clothing and carrying shields and batons.

The number of arrests, which include six people from Leicestershire, could grow after officers study CCTV and footage filmed by officers on the ground at various locations.

The 16 men and one woman were arrested on suspicion of committing a range of crimes, including assaulting a police officer, possession of an offensive weapon, criminal damage and public order offences.

Many EDL supporters were taken to the protest site by bus.

As they got off their coaches they chanted "E, E, EDL", and "no surrender to the Taliban".

While coaches waited in a queue in Rutland Street, near to Humberstone Gate East there were several attempts by passengers to get out through emergency exits. Police officers ran up and down the street putting them back on to the coaches or slamming the doors shut before they could get out.

During the demo, the International Arts Centre Fabrika had to be evacuated, with journalists and staff making their escape through the back entrance as EDL protesters attempted to break into the building and smashed windows.

Several EDL protesters suffered head and facial injuries in the scuffles with police.

At about 4pm, nearly 200 EDL supporters managed to break through police lines in Queen Street, with some skirmishes breaking out.

There were confrontations between the protesters and a group of Asian and black men in the Humberstone Road area, near St Matthew's with pockets of fighting.

An Asian man, who would only confirm his name as Khaled, said: "When the EDL arrived it became pretty tense.

"We were shouting at each other and the police tried to calm everyone down but in the end we just went for each other.

"They had no reason to run at us, we were just standing around, they broke through a police barrier. It's lucky no one was more seriously hurt."

Shortly after 5pm, hundreds of people gathered outside the African Caribbean Centre, in Maidstone Road, Highfields.

Officers believe people came out of their homes after a rumour circulated that EDL members were heading for the neighbourhood.

The group, including a number of people standing on rooftops, were being told by community leaders to go back to their homes.

A similar situation developed in nearby Kent Street, but the police reported no serious public order problems.

At 6pm, an operation to clean up the streets began.

One shop owner, in Granby Street, made the decision to remain open all day and said he was very worried after the protests had finished. Some EDL people came running past the shop chanting and we were concerned," he said.

"There's no need to cause the kind of trouble they've caused here.

"It's obvious they just came to start fights and smash up the city."

Leicestershire's temporary deputy chief constable Gordon Fraser said: "The fact that most of the arrested people were from outside the Leicestershire area demonstrates that this was, indeed, a case of people coming to the city in order to protest.

"The planning for this day began just four weeks ago with many officers and staff working extremely long hours working out the logistics, meeting with other force colleagues, partners, businesses, community leaders to name but a few.

"More than 2,000 officers and staff were involved in policing the protest, joined by colleagues from 12 other forces and to those we owe a huge debt of thanks for their support."

Normal neighbourhood policing had continued, as normal, throughout the day.

Mr Fraser added: "The work isn't over, though.

"We now continue to work on evidence-gathering for the investigations into the crimes committed today in order to take action against those responsible."

Sheila Lock, chief executive of Leicester City Council, said: "Everyone, from the police to the community, the retailers and our own council staff, has pulled together and ensured we have dealt with it very well.

"I think Leicester is stronger as a result, and that can only be good for the future of our city."

Leicester Unite Against Fascism said its 700 supporters were overwhelmingly from Leicester, including trade unionists, Sikh groups, students and city residents.

It said none of its supporters were among those arrested.

A series of speakers condemned the views of the EDL.

Jackie Lewis, chairman of Leicester Unite Against Fascism, criticised Leicester City Council and the police for urging people to stay away.

She said: "We welcome the council's peace vigil and all the other events but they have tried to stop people, making it clear to the EDL they are not welcome.

"I am pleased it did not work. We had one bus and one mini-bus come in from outside the city but everybody else was local."

The English Defence League leader, Tommy Robinson, was detained by police in St George's Way for an hour before being placed on a coach to Luton.

Mr Robinson said he was pleased with the turnout and the way the demonstration had passed. The group had widely predicted it would bring 3,000 people to the protest.

He said: "If people want us to come back to Leicester we will come back. I think we will be welcomed by a lot of people who live in this city."

Before the protest, some EDL supporters were allowed to drink in several pubs in Hotel Street, Leicester.

There was a large police presence around the pubs and no problems, apart from a broken window, were reported.

Hazel and Craig Bosworth, both 32, from Market Harborough, married at Leicester's Guildhall and created a strange scene as they walked through the massed lines of the police to get to their wedding reception at The Case Restaurant.

The couple received a round of applause from EDL members being bused into Hotel Street.

Hazel said: "It's a bit strange to be honest. We knew this would be going on but we couldn't do anything about it.

"We are anti-EDL but we weren't going to let it spoil our day. "The police have pulled out all the stops for us."

An elderly bystander, who saw a scuffle break out in Granby Street towards the end of the day, said: "This is so sad. "Why is this happening in our day and age and in Leicester, of all places?"