British police arrested five Sri Lankan Tamils after several demonstrators broke into the Indian High Commission in the middle of the protest outside the building in central London.

A spokesperson for the high commission said the protest began when a crowd of about 100 to 150 protesters gathered outside India House at 8.15 a.m, their numbers swelling to over a thousand later.

'The crowd outside have shattered some of the glass windows of the High Commission's premises with heavy objects. Police and security agencies are on duty outside the premises. No one in the High Commission has been injured,' the spokesperson said.

She said the British Foreign Office had been informed about the incident, 'along with the High Commission's concerns about the security situation and their need for adequate security measures.'