HUNDREDS of people from across the region took part in a massive protest rally in Calderdale.

They marched through the streets of Halifax on Saturday to protest at Government cuts.

Up to 1,000 protesters, led by public service unions from across Yorkshire and Lancashire, staged a rally at Halifax Piece Hall. Young and old stood side-by-side as the marchers were led through the town centre by the City of Bradford Pipe Band.

Behind them trailed protesters carrying banners denouncing the Government’s austerity cuts, which they claim hit Northern towns the hardest.

Among the unions represented were Unison and the GMB along with teaching unions the National Union of Teachers (NUT) and the NASUWT.

Protesters came from Huddersfield, Halifax, Bradford, Leeds, Keighley, Sheffield, Wigan and Oldham.

The march was organised by Northern Towns Against Cuts, formed two years ago by the Calderdale branch of the NUT and the GMB.

Among those taking part were Garry Bull, joint secretary of the West Yorkshire Police branch of Unison, and Kirklees senior convener Heidi Garside, who is a civilian prosecution team worker at Huddersfield Police Station.

Mr Bull, whose members include control room staff, 999 operators and scenes of crime officers, said £103m was to be slashed off the West Yorkshire Police budget.

He said civilian staff were there to free up police officers and fewer civilian staff would mean less officers on the streets. “We have seen at least 1,100 police staff gone already and nearly 1,000 are going over the next four years.”

Mr Bull said police station opening hours would be next in the firing line.

“There is a review going on. Very soon there probably won’t be a 24-hour help desk open in the entire force area.”

Mr Edward Ashman, branch secretary for Calderdale Unison, said: “This protest is about cuts to local authorities in the North. There are officially 22 job losses in Calderdale this year, but that doesn’t take into account the re-structuring which could cost another 100 to 150, that’s across the youth services and indoor leisure.

“We are seeing job losses now, but the crunch time is yet to come.

“The Government keeps talking about fighting the recession but how can they do that by forcing people onto benefits?

“Seventy-five per cent of local authority workers are women, low-paid and part-time. This will not ease the situation at all.”

After a march from Halifax Town Hall to the historic Piece Hall there was a rally addressed by various speakers including Halifax Labour MP Linda Riordan.

Mrs Riordan said the turn-out proved the strength of feeling against the cuts.

She added: “Yes, we need to bring the deficit down but that’s no reason to attack the poor. This Government is continuing with the cuts attacking the most vulnerable in society. They are doing this because they want to, not because they have to.”

Huddersfield’s Remploy factory in Waterloo is set to close in April with the loss of 30 jobs for disabled workers.

Remploy GMB branch secretary James Stribley also addressed the rally. He said: “Remploy is all about dignity for disabled workers. It was announced in December that 15 Remploy factories, including Huddersfield, will close.

“We call for a rethink and for disabled workers to have a choice. The workers have done nothing wrong but the workers will pay the price. We will fight for every job.”

The Waterloo factory makes car interior trim for Vauxhall and Toyota, but has been dismissed as “not commercially viable”.

The youngest people on the march were members of Sowerby Bridge Youth Club who fear closure under the next round of Calderdale cuts.

Lauren Robinson, 15, took the stage with a placard and told the crowd: “The club has helped me learn new things. I don’t want it to close.”

Sue McMahon, Calderdale NUT divisional secretary, said she was delighted by the turn-out. “In all 14 unions have come together as one to wake up and shake up the Government,” she added.