Around a hundred teachers and union members gathered outside Islington Town Hall this morning (Wednesday) as part of a nationwide day of strikes.

More than 50 Islington Schools are closed today as part of the industrial action - with just four fully open.

Fire engines, police cars and buses all beeped their support as they passed the group, who met around 11am, before joining the protest in central London.

Jeremy Corbyn, Labour MP for Islington North and Cllr Catherine West, leader of Islington Council showed their support for the strikes as they spoke from the town hall steps.

A series of other impassioned speeches rang out across Upper Street, drawing cheers and applause from the crowd.

Sean Vernell, a teacher at City and Islington College, in Holloway Road and national executive for the University and College Union, addressed the crowd.

He said: “The government tell us trade unions are dying - well 2.5milllion people striking doesn’t sound like a trade union in trouble, it sounds like rebirth of movement. The are frightened of us. Don’t believe their b------t, we are the ones who have the power.”

He added: “We are in this to win and if they don’t meet our demands, we will strike, strike and strike again.”

Other protests took place outside the Whittington Hospital, at the Archway Tower and Highbury and Islington station.