Survivors and relatives of Holocaust victims have joined a rally to encourage a boycott of Austria in protest at far-right elements within the government.

A crowd of more than 500 gathered outside the Austrian Embassy in London as part of the campaign against the inclusion of the far-right Freedom Party, led by Joerg Haider, in the new Austrian Government.

It coincided with another huge protest in the Austrian capital, Vienna, attended by about 100,000 people.

"The Freedom Party ran its election campaign on a racist, anti-imigrant and xenophonic platform," said Kumar Murshid, co-chairman of the National Assembly Against Racism, one of the groups taking part in the protest.

"Such politics must be driven out, not appeased," he said.

Worldwide criticism

Austria has attracted worldwide criticism since the new government was formed, given comments made by Mr Haider concerning immigration and apparent attempts to justify his nation's role in World War II.

Among those to address the crowd was Leon Greenman, 90, a survivor of the Nazi concentration camp Auschwitz.

Mr Greenham, who was living in the Netherlands when he was seized by the Nazis, recounted how he had lost his wife, his infant son and between 60 and 70 members of his family to Nazi terror.

He said: "I do not want anyone to go through the same pain I have suffered.

"Haider is evil, he cannot be trusted."

Members of the Second Generation Trust, a group representing the relatives of Holocaust victims, had earlier presented acting Austrian Ambassador Brigitte Oppinger-Walchshofer with a copy of the Book of the Dead, a list of thousands of Austrian citizens deported during the war.

The demonstration, including members of a variety anti-racist, trade union and left-wing groups, continued for about an hour.