Justice minister Ard van der Steur and Rotterdam mayor Achmed Aboutaleb are going to court in an effort to stop Dutch police union plans to disrupt the Tour de France.

The tour starts in Utrecht this weekend and protesting police officers are planning to hold a mass check on vehicles at the time the motorised cavalcade is due to cross the Erasmus bridge in Rotterdam. The riders are racing from Utrecht to Zeeland on Sunday and the action will effectively stop the event.

Police unions have been campaigning for 15 weeks for a pay rise and say this protest is to show the public they mean business.

The unions are demanding a 3.3% pay rise to end a four-year pay freeze, as well as measures to enable older police officers to retire before the age of 67 and compensation for the effect of the recent major reorganisation of policing operations.

Aboutaleb said in a statement he finds it ‘incomprehensible that this event, which so many fans look forward to’ is being targeted.

It is not yet clear when the court hearing will be.