Council wardens strike in job row

Council wardens in Knowsley are to stage a walk-out in a dispute over the reorganisation of the service.

The wardens say the changes involve job losses, pay cuts and working unsocial hours. The council says reorganisation was needed after funding cuts.

Around 60 council wardens will start work on Thursday afternoon at 1400 BST but will walk out four hours later, halfway through their shift.

They will repeat the action on Friday and Saturday.

Knowsley Borough Council said that staff were on grant-funded temporary contracts which ended in March, but they were able to identify funding to create permanent contracts.

The council says the action is "unecessary and disappointing".

The role of neighbourhood wardens was designed to reduce crime and anti-social behaviour and make communities safer.