Mock trial of Iain Duncan Smith staged in Southampton protest over benefit changes

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Union members marched along Above Bar Street in the city centre ending up at the Job Centre Plus, in Bernard Street, where they renamed it with a banner Sanctions Centre Plus.

Leading the march was an actor wearing a mask of Work and Pensions minister Iain Duncan Smith carrying a sanctions placard.

He was followed by around 50 protestors who carried placards saying Stop Benefits Sanctions and Wanted for Cruelty.

They also chanted "Duncan Smith, lock him up, throw away the key" and "Same old story, lying Tories".

The group was campaigning against the sanctions imposed on benefit claimants that they say are overly strict.

At the Bargate the Iain Duncan Smith lookalike was handcuffed and chained and escorted to the Job Centre where he was put 'on trial' in a street theatre and found 'guilty' .

The protest was organised by Unite Community and similar protests are being held today across the country.

Mike Dukes, chair of Unite Community in Southampton, said of the protest: "It's to raise awareness of the effect of sanctions and to encourage a rethink of the whole notion."

A spokesman for the Department of Work and Pensions said: "Every day Jobcentre Plus advisers work hard to help claimants into work – unemployment is falling and a record number of people are in work.

“Sanctions are only used as a last resort for the tiny minority who fail to take up the support which is on offer.

“There are no targets for sanctions – in fact the number of sanctions has gone down over the past year.”