countries. Protests In 2009, the far-right English Defence League visited Wootton Bassett, after plans for a demonstration in the town by the Muslim extremist group Islam4UK, led by Anjem Choudary, came under widespread condemnation. The group eventually called off the plan, claiming that the publicity generated had "successfully highlighted the plight of Muslims in Afghanistan" and so "no more could be achieved even if a procession were to take place". Arms of Royal Wootton Bassett An official coat of arms was granted to Wootton Bassett Town Council, by Letters Patent of Garter, Clarenceux and Norroy and Ulster Kings of Arms, on 30 August 2011, the day before the date of the Queen's Patent granting the designation "Royal" to the town. The town had previously used unofficial Arms consisting of a chevron between three lozenges: the granted design adapts this to reflect the Royal favour accorded in recognition of the town's role in recent repatriations of fallen servicemen and women, and is: Gules a Chevron Argent between in chief two Lozenges and in base a Lion passant guardant Or. The lion passant is a visible heraldic sign of the royal favour. Transport Road The main road through the town is the A3102, which connects it to Swindon to the east and Melksham to the south-west, a town in the west of the county. The only other numbered road out of the town is the B4042, which runs to Malmesbury in the west. The town is also close to Junction 16 of the M4 motorway connecting London with South Wales, allowing easy access to other towns and cities of the M4 corridor. Rail Royal Wootton Bassett has no railway station, although it has been served in the past by Wootton Bassett Road and Wootton Bassett Junction stations, and is a major junction on the rail network, being the location where the South Wales Main Line branches off of the Great Western Main Line. Thus stations nearby offer direct connections to London, the South West and South Wales. The first station to serve the town was Wootton Bassett Road, opened by the Great Western Railway (GWR) in 1840 some distance from the town (and sometimes referred to as Hay Lane), when the Great Western Main Line from reached the town. After just a year, with the completion of the Box Tunnel allowing the line to reach , this was replaced by the closer