DOZENS of disillusioned pensioners demonstrated outside the headquarters of the three main political parties yesterday urging them to take a stance against warden cuts.

Around 14 pensioners from Barnet joined the rally, which drew in groups from places like Portsmouth and Coventry, in central London.

Organisers handed in letters to the Conservative, Liberal Democrat and Labour head offices urging them to make pledges to stop sheltered housing cuts or lose up to 500,000 votes.

The move comes against a backdrop of threatened cuts to the services, which would see live-in wardens replaced with mobile ones, charged with moving between centres in Barnet.

David Young, a sheltered housing resident in Kingsley Court, Edgware, helped organise the march in his role as chairman of the UK Pensioners Strategy Committee.

He told the Times Series: “It was a great success. We got several people out on the streets and were able to get our message across to the main parties.

“We hope this close to an election they will take notice. There are 500,000 people living in sheltered accommodation in the UK, that's half-a-million potential voters and their families.

“In my heart of hearts I don't know whether they will take much notice, but we will be telling people which party they should be voting for based on their policies.”

The group protested in Parliament Square from midday, then headed to each of the party headquarters where they handed in the letter calling for pledges to safeguard wardens services.

Mr Young added: “We were only supposed to demonstrate outside the Tory HQ, but when we got the the Labour one everyone got off the bus and started to do it again. We were canting No Wardens, No Votes.

“Half-a-million votes can make a big difference as there is not a lot to choose between these parties, it could be the difference between a majority and a hung parliament.”