A group of people reached the hotel floor where members of the Pakistan under-19 cricket team were staying after protesters wrongly believed they were migrants, the Pakistan Cricket Board has said.

About 30 to 40 people congregated at the Marriot Hotel in Cosham, Portsmouth, on Tuesday evening after false rumours circulated that a coach carrying migrants had arrived.

Sumair Syed, chief operating officer of the Pakistan Cricket Board, said the team reported people “knocking on their doors” during the incident, but the players “behaved responsibly and didn’t escalate the situation”.

Hampshire Police said officers found no offences had been committed, and the crowd dispersed by about 21:00 BST.

The team went on to play a scheduled match the following day, Syed said.

He described the incident as “unfortunate” but said he was in contact with the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), which had “assured us that every possible measure should be taken for the security of the escort”.

“This is the responsibility of the whole sport to ensure the safety, security and well-being of the visiting team,” he said. “They are on it and we are hopeful that nothing of such sort will happen in the future.”

Reform county councillor George Madgwick, who attended the scene, said hotel staff had shown him “proof” the guests were the touring cricket team, and had urged people online not to attend.

Speaking to the BBC, he said: “Someone online saw a group of what looked like foreign nationals leaving the coach and put a photo of it online and that’s where it spurred from.

“It was mere speculation rather than based on truth or fact.

“In this case they have made a grave error, a grave mistake.”

Responding to criticism and comments on his Facebook post about the incident, Madgwick denied the reaction to the cricketers’ arrival had been racist.

He said: “I think one person made the assumption and everybody else followed that assumption.

“It isn’t a good reflection on our city. It’s not something I want our city to be known for.”

Syed did not provide further details of what was said by the people who came to the hotel.

The BBC understands the ECB has checked on the wellbeing of the Pakistan under-19s squad and is reviewing security arrangements for the remainder of their tour.

Amanda Martin, Labour MP for Portsmouth North, called the incident “deeply concerning”.

She said it was “completely unacceptable that misinformation has led to young cricketers visiting our city being wrongly targeted”.

The incident came two days after hundreds of protesters blocked roads in Portsmouth after a boat carrying around 120 migrants was brought ashore in the city.

The Marriott Hotel Portsmouth declined to comment.