Skeleton protests across Britain

British workers have staged a series of protests dressed as skeltons to protest about budget cuts from the recent Comprehensive Spending Review.

Members of UNISON from Birmingham, along with fellow members from London, Nottingham, Swansea and Leeds said they wanted to give the public a 'grim reminder' of how vital local services will be 'cut to the bone' under the austerity measures.

Heather Wakefield, the union's head of local government, said: "This may look like a fun Halloween protest, but there is a serious message behind the masks.

"The Chancellor's knife is cutting deep. His drastic, hard and fast public spending cuts will cut vital local services back to the bone and throw tens of thousands on the dole.

"With spending power cut, local shops and businesses will suffer from wholesale, long term, mass unemployment. High streets will turn into ghost towns, and local economies will be given a death sentence, spiralling downwards, out of control.

"Why should hardworking people pay the price for the recession? The bankers who caused this crisis are still making off with massive bonuses."

Unison have drawn up what they call a fairer way to economic recovery which includes measures such as cracking down on tax avoidance and tax havens, as well as making bankers pay their "fair share".