Their non-violent “love bombing” tactic is a “very clever strategy”, according to Ken Marsh, chairman of the Met Police Federation. He said the fact protesters are “happily” being arrested means police are “damned if we do and damned if we don’t”. By yesterday evening, more than 750 people had been arrested and 28 had been charged since the protests began on Monday. Campaigners – who have only been given permission to demonstrate at Marble Arch – have continually broken the law since then, occupying Oxford Circus, Waterloo Bridge and Parliament Square. A pink boat in the centre of Oxford Circus – which actress Dame Emma Thompson used as a stage to address the crowds – was removed on Friday night, but protesters soon reoccupied the street. The group behind the protest – Extinction Rebellion – called for more people to join them today and tomorrow to mark a week of action.

Organisers invited Londoners to “share a feast” at Marble Arch today and join “The Last Picnic” on Easter Monday, where they intend to block the busy A40 Westway – a key route into central London from the west.

Yesterday, around 1,750 officers were called to deal with the demo after the Met Police drafted in colleagues from other forces.

Mr Marsh said: “Most people were law-abiding and don’t want to break any laws – they just want to demonstrate and prove their point.

“But that was difficult for us to deal with as we are not used to a scenario of hundreds of people who are happy to be arrested. It is so draining. As soon as we cleared 100, another 200 would appear and we don’t do kettling any more.

“They want as many people as possible to go through the judicial system so they can have their day in court and it won’t go away.

“Whoever thought up this strategy is very clever and knows what they are doing. They made it very difficult for us.”

Mr Marsh said that officers knew they had struck the right balance in policing the demo, because of what the protesters are telling them.

Police reported being hugged by campaigners as they marched on Waterloo Bridge, who told them: “We love you.We are doing this for your children, too.”

“There were people asking officers to be gentle as they put the handcuffs on,” Mr Marsh said. “It was bizarre, but we are trained to deal with passive people and have to use a modicum of common sense.

“If we had gone in in a line with batons out, I don’t think it would have gone down too well.”

Mr Marsh said he was confident the protests would be over by tomorrow, claiming that the police “are on top of it” and had enough officers to deal with the situation.

But the perceived level of police inaction has led to calls for Home Secretary Sajid Javid to get tough.

Shipley’s Tory MP Philip Davies said water cannons should be used to get campaigners off the streets, while Romford’s MP, Conservative Andrew Rosindell, accused the police of “surrendering” to protesters. “If most people started blocking roads, they’d be arrested,” he said. “It seems like one law for most of us and one for them. It’s wrong.”

Metropolitan Police Commissioner Cressida Dick said the situation facing officers was “unprecedented”.

“I’ve been a police officer for 36 years and I have never known a single operation in which over 700 people have been arrested,” she said.

Ms Dick told how the protesters were “utterly determined to obstruct what we are trying to achieve” and said that after the demo had ended, the Force would “have a good think” about “what we’ve learned from this and how we adapt our tactics”.

The Met Police also dismissed protesters’ claims that 50,000 more people had joined the cause and custody suites across London were full, with detainees now being taken as far as Brighton and Southampton.

A Force spokesman said: “Arrested people are being taken to custody suites across London. “No cells from other forces are being used for this operation”

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