HUNDREDS of protesters took to the streets this weekend to fight for the future of Dorset’s public services.

Around 400 marchers banged drums and blew whistles as they marched through the town chanting: “You say cut back, we say fight back.”

Singer/songwriter Billy Bragg marched alongside lollipop men and women, librarians, local authority workers, charity workers and students, who all called for the authority to save their jobs and services. The protest came as the county braces itself to find out where the axe will fall at a Dorset County Council crunch meeting on Thursday.

Mr Bragg sang protest songs as the crowd moved through the town – bringing shoppers and transport to a standstill.

He said: “People think Dorset is a quiet backwater where nothing goes on.

“They don’t understand the number of people who work in the public sector here. It’s great to see such a good turn-out today.”

Mr Bragg said he wasn’t concerned about the government’s Big Society plans.

“I’m not concerned about the size of the society. The type of society I want to live in is a compassionate society.

“Our whole society is fundamentally about compassion and it should not have that taken away. These are the people who are teaching our children, looking after our old people, breaking up fights in the street and sewing people up in casualty.

“They are the people doing the jobs that make society worth living in.”

The authority needs to make savings of £31million over the next financial year and £54.9million over the next three years.

Protesters urged attendees to join a nationwide protest against government cuts in London next month.

Pamela Jeffries, the secretary of the Dorchester branch of Unison, said: “What no one talks about are the hundreds and thousands of people who earn less than the minimum wage. There are many people earning £21,000 or less. They are all doing vital jobs.”

Paul Kimber, Dorset branch secretary for Unison, thanked everyone who turned out for the march. When you’re facing £55 million worth of cuts that’s going to have a big effect on our services.

“Our generation has got to make sure that these students have a future.”

Around 20 students from the Thomas Hardye School turned out to get their voices heard.

Addressing the rally, sixth former Ben Poser said students opposed the government’s decision to scrap the Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA).

He said: “Fifty per cent of students in school rely on the EMA for transport to go to lessons and do not understand how they can afford to go on.”