CAMPAIGNERS held a protest outside a Jobcentre they are trying to save from the axe.

The demonstration at Farnworth Jobcentre was called by Bolton South MP Yasmin Qureshi, who is fighting the government’s plans to close the branch.

She was joined by Farnworth councillors Jean Gillies and Asif Ibrahim, Cllr Sue Haworth, from the Harper Green ward and a number of other protestors.

It comes after Ms Qureshi launched an online petition in a bid to save the centre

Ms Qureshi said disabled claimants, those with young children and those with caring responsibilities would find it particularly difficult to meet their commitments as job seekers.

She added: “We think this is a cynical ploy to get people to stop claiming because the chances are people are going to turn up late for interview, be sanctioned, have their money taken away. It’s a disincentive to come back on it. I have had constituents sanctioned for the most trivial reasons.”

Cllr Ibrahim said closing the branch was ‘an additional barrier on people to get to the Jobcentre’ and described the plan as ‘fundamentally wrong.’

The Department for Work and Pensions last week confirmed its plan to merge the centre with one of two town centre branches had been brought forward to the autumn.

Damian Hinds, Minster for Employment said: “These changes reflect the fact that more people access their benefits online resulting in many of our buildings being underused.

“We’re merging some offices and locating other jobcentres with local authorities.”