About 200 people from Oxfordshire joined thousands of demonstrators in London to back the firefighters' pay claim.

On Saturday (December 7), about 9,000 people joined a march from the Embankment to Hyde Park.

Mark Sandell, one of the organisers of the support committee for the Fire Brigades Union for Oxford, said two coachloads from the city went to the demonstration, as well as others who had made their own way to London.

Firefighters and other union members took part in the event, which had been organised by the TUC.

Mr Sandell, also a delegate for the Print, Paper and Publishing Union, said: "We represented the local TUC, plus there were firefighters from all around the country."

He said the demonstration was initially planned by London firefighters ten days ago, and he believed more people would have taken part had the firefighters been on strike yesterday.

He added: "It was a lot smaller than expected if the firefighters had been on strike.

"The weather was really awful, everyone was freezing, but the enthusiasm was fantastic. There was a huge amount of public support and the demonstration keeps it on the political agenda."

Talks to resolve the dispute through Acas, are due to resume this week.