HUDDERSFIELD demonstrators have stepped up their campaign against the Paralympic Games sponsors.

Police were called after campaigners occupied the jobcentre on Southgate yesterday in protest against Atos Healthcare.

The French company won a £110m Government contract to assess 2.6 million incapacity benefit and employment support allowance claimants to determine if they are able to work.

But campaigners claim Atos is unfairly targeting sick and disabled people such as cancer sufferer Cecilia Burns, who died last week.

The 51-year-old from Strabane in Northern Ireland had her employment support allowance cut by £30 a week in February after Atos decided she was fit to work – even though she was still being treated for breast cancer at the time.

Thirteen protestors began an occupation of Huddersfield JobCentre at 1pm yesterday.

Anna Marie Byrne, who took part in the demonstration, told the Examiner: “The Paralympics, which Atos sponsors, are showing publicly that disabled people are normal people, not fakers and scroungers as they have been recently portrayed.

“Hopefully this will be a changing point and Atos will come under close scrutiny as to their methods.”

Fellow protestor June Jones also drew attention to the Paralympic Games, which are taking place in London.