London Film Festival axes Undercover: Exposing The Far Right doc screening over safety fears

London Film Festival (LFF) organisers said on Saturday they had scrapped a screening of a documentary about far-right activities and funding in Britain and beyond over "safety and well-being risks".

The documentary -- Undercover: Exposing The Far Right-- probes far-right figures across the UK and Europe as well as funding from the United States, using an undercover reporter and hidden cameras.

It had been due to screen at the festival in the British capital over the weekend, ahead of airing on UK television on Monday night.

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Its release comes just months after parts of Britain saw a week of anti-immigration riots that officials have blamed far-right agitators for instigating and fuelling.

"After exploring all the viable options to screen this film at a public film festival we took the heartbreaking decision to not present 'UNDERCOVER: Exposing the Far Right' at the LFF," festival director Kristy Matheson said.

She called the film "exceptional and easily one of the best documentaries I have seen this year" as well as "incredibly important".

"However, festival workers have the right to feel safe and that their mental health and well being is respected in their workplace.

"I took on board the expert opinion of colleagues around the safety and well-being risks that the screening could have created for audiences and the team and that informed our decision, which we did not take lightly."

The documentary follows campaigners from the counter-extremism charity Hope not Hate as they investigate the far-right in Britain and the money behind how "prejudice" is disseminated online.

Its director Havana Marking expressed her disappointment at the LFF decision.

"I understand the fear that people have, but am very disappointed that no alternative method of screening at LFF could be found," she added.

"It is getting harder and harder to make these films and to lose this audience was upsetting."