Russell Brand covers up and joins protest

Russell Brand joined the mass of protesters outside the Bank of England in Threadneedle Street today.

Wearing a black woollen hat and scarf around his face, and with a small group of friends, he waved and gave the thumbs-up to fellow demonstrators.

Brand, who caused outrage last year when he and Jonathan Ross made obscene phone calls to actor Andrew Sachs, said: "I always come to these kind of things, I'm very interested. I am interested in learning and interested in why these people have come to this. I wonder what alternatives there are and I think it makes people cogent of them. I think it's also very beautiful."

On the Twitter website he wrote: "I'm going to the Bank of England, amidst today's protest, I shall march in and demand a shiny new sixpence or I will install myself as boss."