Fears that tomorrow’s Olympic flame relay through London could be disrupted by violence intensified after it emerged that eight Tibetan protesters had been shot dead by Chinese police.

Campaigners vowed to redouble their protests after hearing of the deaths yesterday during one of the bloodiest clashes since pro-independence protests began last month.

They said that they would target the Chinese Ambassador to London, Fu Ying, who is scheduled to take her turn carrying the torch as it makes its way from Wembley Arena to Canary Wharf. Last night the Chinese Embassy declined to confirm whether she would take part. A number of celebrities have withdrawn from the event or made themselves unavailable in protest at China’s heavy-handed crackdown on Tibetan protesters who are demanding independence.

Police fear that there will be clashes between Tibetan demonstrators, who plan to gather at strategic points along the 31-mile route, and Chinese students, who are being mobilised to defend China’s stance.

Tensions are likely to be high following the latest clashes. Chinese paramilitary police opened fire on a protest by Tibetan monks and villagers in Sichuan province, near the border with Tibet. The state-run Chinese media said that the police used force as a last resort.

Witnesses said that the clash, in which dozens were wounded, erupted after an inspection team entered the ancient monastery trying to confiscate pictures of the Dalai Lama. As many as 1,000 paramilitary police were deployed. The dead were said to include a 27-year-old monk and two women.

Tomorrow’s torch relay, part of an 85,000-mile global tour before the Beijing Games, is expected to draw more than 80,000 spectators.

Gordon Brown is due to have his photograph taken with the torch in front of No 10.

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