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Finland's government condemned a racist protest in which demonstrators - including one dressed in a Ku Klux Klan outfit - attacked a bus transporting asylum seekers in the early hours of Friday.

Public broadcaster Yle showed images of around 40 protesters - some with burning torches - throwing fireworks at a bus transporting asylum seekers, mostly families with children, to a new reception centre in the southern city of Lahti.

One of the protesters could be seen dressed in a white hood, a symbol of the racist American Ku Klux Klan, with a Finnish flag in his hand.

They also threw stones at Red Cross volunteers, although no one was hurt at the incident.
Prime minister Juha Sipila condemned the attack on Twitter, saying "threats and violence against asylum seekers and migrants are absolutely unacceptable.”

“Finland's government condemns last night's racist protests against the asylum seekers who have come to the country. Violence and threatening behaviour is always indefensible," a government statement said.

The police held two protesters after the incident and said they were likely to face fines.