Campaigners were “disappointed” after the manager of a shopping centre refused to tell them why some of his staff were not receiving the London living wage.

Members of Noam, the Masorti Jewish Youth Movement, demanded to know why Brent Cross Shopping Centre, in Hendon, has previously advertised jobs for cleaners paying just £6.49p per hour. 

The London living wage, which is calculated as the amount needed to live on in the capital, is currently £9.15 an hour.

Protesters turned up unnanounced and asked to meet with Tom Nathan, the general manager of the shopping centre, who came out of his office and spoke to them for ten minutes.

Rachel Sandler, of Bow Lane, North Finchley, said: “Brent Cross is somewhere that’s at the heart of the community, I’ve been going there since I was a young girl.

“It was upsetting and disappointed when Mr Nathan came out of his office and said he wouldn’t speak to us in his office, but that was our first step. We’ll keep trying.

“It’s a really essential part of human rights to help people be as comfortable and as stable in possible in life.”

The 23-year-old was joined by ten others from Noam, including Hannah Collins, Becky Collins and Isaac Virchis.

During their visit, during the Jewish festival of Passover, they tried to hand over Matza boxes with the London Living Wage written on them.

They also let fake shelf displays in some of Brent Cross’s stores asking for a “wage workers could live on”.

Ms Sandler, who works for Noam, added: “The wage isn’t even that much but it’s something that could change a person’s life for the better.

“On Passover we remember the hardships faced by our ancestors in Egypt and reflect on the difficult work conditions they faced.

“We shop in Brent Cross, we live near Brent Cross, and this Passover we reject the idea that in our lives as consumers we have no responsibility towards the lowest paid workers in this shopping mall.

“It’s only right that people should get a fair day’s pay for a hard day’s work.”

In a statement, Brent Cross Shopping Centre said: "We pay all of our cleaners and security guards above the minimum wage requirement.

"In addition, they also receive a host of employee benefits including  sick leave, annual leave, festive bonuses and pension schemes to ensure that they are well looked after."