CAMPAIGNERS protesting against a Government job scheme mounted a noisy protest at Blackburn's JobCentre before police were called.

Around 15 banner and placard-waving protesters spent 20 minutes in the JobCentre protesting against the widening of the New Deal scheme from 18 to 24-year-olds to all age groups.

Police moved in and escorted the group off the premises and allowed them to continue their protest for five minutes outside before moving them on again.

Groups of people stopped to listen to the protest before police brought it to a halt.

The protest was organised by members of the Reinstate Nigel Cook Campaign (RNCC) - formed to fight against the use of casual labour and payment of "poverty wages" to workers.

The group claim Nigel Cook was unfairly sacked in 1997 after he organised a union at M&S Packing (Blackburn) Ltd, which packs CDs for Polygram.

Mr Cook attacked the New Deal saying: "This scheme will do nothing to address the serious problem of unemployment.

"The real beneficiaries from New Deal will be the employers who will get a weekly subsidy of £75 per week for each claimant they take on.

"Claimants will have their benefits stopped should they refuse the 'invitation' of a New Deal placement.

"The New Deal is in effect a forced labour scheme. Many local employers are using 'confidentiality clauses' signed with the Employment Services to hide their identity. We want to know what they have got to hide."

The campaign group has vowed to monitor firms using workers under the scheme.

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