CAMPAIGNERS lobbying for the rights of older people will be flying the flag for Barnet's pensioners at a rally in central London tomorrow.

Members of the Barnet 55+ forum will be there along with at least 20 sheltered housing residents from the borough, who are locked in an ongoing battle with Barnet Council to retain on-site wardens. BBC programme Panorama will also be at the rally to cover the residents' campaign.

A High Court decision in December forced the council to shelve plans to replace live-in staff with mobile wardens covering several different centres, but campaigners fear the idea could re-emerge when a new council is elected on May 6.

David Young, chairman of the UK Pensioners' Strategy Committee, lives in Kingsley Court sheltered housing in Tayside Drive, Edgware.

He said: "The march should be well-attended. We will be telling Gordon Brown there are 500,000 votes he could lose because there are 500,000 pensioners in sheltered housing. We will be shouting 'No wardens, no votes' at the demonstration.

"All three parties could not care less about pensioners."

This demonstration comes after protesters delivered letters to the headquarters of the three main political parties on March 22, asking them to take a stand against the proposed cuts.

Barnet 55+ chairman Stan Davison, 84, from Colindale, will be supporting this cause at the rally.

He said: "There will be a significant presence of sheltered housing residents who will be protesting and making their case on the issue of saving the wardens in their sheltered homes.

"The residents are understandably saying that if there is an intention to pursue the plans at some time in the future, the fight is still on and it is gaining momentum. We have declared solidarity with them and I have put the word round for people to come and support their colleagues in this very important issue.

"This is the moment to try to get our two pennies' worth into the debate about what we want from a future government."

Protestors will gather at Temple Place, in Westminster, at noon on Saturday and will march along the River Thames before finishing in Trafalgar Square.

Speakers from Unison, GMB and Carers Poverty Alliance will be among the groups addressing the rally, which is trying to draw attention to the plight of public services in advance of the general election.

More information about the demonstration can be found at www.10410demo.co.uk.