NEARLY one thousand angry Southampton council workers and trade union campaigners descended on the city's Guildhall today in a protest over mass pay cuts.

The large crowd, blowing horns and carrying huge balloons, marched from Andrews Park to a rally in Guildhall Square where union leaders accused Tory council chiefs of "stealing" workers' pay.

Unison deputy general secretary Keith Sonnett was among the speakers who addressed the gathering ahead of a meeting of the council.

The demonstration continued outside the Guildhall building where councillors were discussing the industrial action that has crippled services in the city over the past two months and left mountains of uncollected rubbish spilling onto the streets.

Conservative councillors entered the Guildhall by side entrances to avoid the crowd outside.

Security was stepped up after the last council meeting was stormed by bin men who hammered at the doors of the council chamber and were later ejected.

More then 200 spectators filled the Guildhall where councillors took their seats on a stage shielded by a security barrier while bin men chanted, whistled and broke out into verses of My Old Man's a Dustman.

This time the bin men walked out mid-way through a speech by council leader Cllr Royston Smith.

He was heckled and booed as he defended his decision to cut the pay of thousands of workers by between two and 5.5 per cent to avoid more job losses. All but 17 signed up to new contracts which were brought in on Monday.

Unions vowed to continue a campaign of industrial action in protest at the pay cuts until a negotiated deal can be reached.