Strike hits 1,500 London schools

The teachers' union is asking for a 4% pay rise

About 1,500 schools across 33 boroughs in London have been affected by the national teachers' strike over pay.

A total of 708 London schools were fully closed while another 769 schools were partially closed in the one-day strike, according to council figures.

About a third of schools in England and Wales were affected by the National Union of Teachers (NUT) strike.

Police estimated that more than 6,000 teachers and other public sector workers marched to a Westminster rally.

The NUT is demanding a 4% pay rise every year until 2010, while the government is offering a 2.4% increase over the same period.

Gordon Brown described the first national teachers' strike in 21 years as "unfortunate and regrettable".

However the NUT did not rule out further pay strikes in the months ahead.

The strike cost London businesses an estimated £44m in lost revenue and staff hours, according to the Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Schools advised about 250,000 children in London to stay at home on Thursday. Figures suggested 706 schools were fully open.

London has 2,489 schools but many did not report their plans for the strike, according to London Councils, an umbrella organisation funded by the member councils.

Schools in the capital have a total student enrolment of more than 1.5 million.