Unemployment offices have been ransacked in the southern French town of Marseille, as over ten-thousand jobless people joined protests to demand higher benefits and monthly payments.

Demonstrators forced their way into several unemployment offices, breaking doors and shutters.

Other protests were planned for Lille, Nantes and Paris.

The demonstrations come a year after unemployed groups began six weeks of nation-wide protests which were the first serious crisis for the Socialist-led government.

French unemployment has recently been falling, but there are still nearly three million people were out of work.