Hong Kong authorities have begun clearing barricades at the main protest camp in the city centre, after more than two months of pro-democracy demonstrations.

Workers in white hats started cutting into barricades as the clearance operation began

The authorities had warned protestors to leave ahead of the operation, but some vowed to remain.

The number of protesters has fallen to a few hundred, from the tens of thousands who turned out in September.

Some say they expect to be arrested, but no clashes have been reported yet.

Police began building up their presence at the site during the early morning. Just after the 09:00 (01:00GMT) deadline for protesters to leave expired, bailiffs read out a final warning.

Early on Thursday, small groups of protesters remained at the Admiralty site

At around 10:30, workers backed by police moved in and began dismantling barricades in one section of the site, using box cutters to remove ties.

By noon, they had removed two barricades and were working on a third, the BBC's John Sudworth reported from the scene. Protesters are sitting on the ground on the other side of it.

But, says our correspondent, there is a sense among everybody here that this is the end of this stage of the protest.

The protesters want Beijing to allow free elections for the territory's next leader in 2017. China says everyone can vote but a pro-Beijing committee will screen candidates.

'Non-violent approach'

The clearance is the result of a court order obtained by a bus company which says the protests have disrupted its business.

While the order covers three portions of the Admiralty site, including the main Connaught Road area, Hong Kong police spokesman Cheung Tak-keung said officers would also clear blocked roads.

He said they would clear away barricades from a second protest site at Causeway Bay site "at an appropriate time". About 20 people remain there, the South China Morning Post reports.

"If the government wants to use police to clear the site, don't forget, the clearance can't resolve political conflicts, it can't resolve society's dilemma," said Joshua Wong, leader of the Scholarism student group.

Some pro-democracy politicians have joined the students at the site and academics and a police watchdog are monitoring the clearance operation.

Some protesters, however, packed up their tents as Thursday dawned.

"I'll probably leave just before the action because my job would be difficult if my name was recorded by police," one 29-year-old protester told AFP news agency.

Clashes erupted when a third protest site, at Mong Kok, was cleared last month. On Wednesday, Hong Kong's top civil servant Carrie Lam urged students to leave the Admiralty site peacefully.

Later on Wednesday, more than 10,000 people gathered at the protest site, chanting pro-democracy slogans in what many saw as a farewell to the current demonstrations.

Source: BBC