Striking public sector staff picketed council offices in protest against plans to outsource services to the private sector.

Public sector union, Unison, say Barnet Council's One Barnet project could see 70 per cent of council workers become private sector employees in under a year, with many being forced to work outside of the borough.

But staff from various council departments, including trading standards, planning, highways, and parking services, say they want to remain council employees. They claim that services and therefore taxpayers will suffer under the new plans.