Anti-Bilderberg activists have hit out at Watford Borough Council and police after their application to hold a fringe festival event in Cassiobury Park during the controversial conference was turned down.

The Bilderberg Welcoming Committee which is looking to organise a "family-oriented festival featuring entertainment including bands, DJs, speakers, public debate, theatre and art. Music genres are folk, jazz, world music and reggae” called the Bilderberg Fringe Festival.

Yet, after the application for a Temporary Events Notice (TEN) from June 7 to June 9 had been rejected by Watford Borough Council, the activists accused the council and police of “a lack of engagement”.

In a joint statement, members of the Bilderberg Welcoming Committee said: "We are disappointed that the Temporary Event Notice for our proposed event in Cassiobury Park is likely to be turned down.

“We have worked very closely with police in good faith in order to find a site which would cause minimum disruption to residents, and to the security arrangements around the Grove hotel, but have been frustrated during the last few weeks with a lack of engagement from both council and the police at a higher level.

“By providing an alternative focal point for people to use their right to express themselves that was away from the Grove hotel we had hoped to reduce the pressure in what is a contentious area (the Grove gates).

“The safest and most appropriate place for people to gather was deemed Cassiobury Park, but with the decision makers in charge of community safety refusing to make any effort to appropriately engage and plan with the festival organisers, the hope of providing a safe area away from the Grove hotel has now proved impossible.

“Watford Council should realise that public and press are coming to the area to document the conference and express their legitimate concerns about the way the Bilderberg group operates - and these crowds are coming anyway, regardless of whether a site for the Bilderberg Fringe Festival is found or not.”

Thousands of activists are expected to descend on Watford to protest the secretive and controversial meeting of politicians, billionaire business leaders, media moguls and royals at the The Grove hotel from June 6 to June 9.

This is the first time in 15 years the annual meeting has been held in the UK and cabinet minister Ken Clarke, billionaire PayPal owner Peter Thiel and Henri de Castries, the Chairman and CEO of AXA, are expected to be among the attendees.