by Gemma Collins HUNDREDS of lecturers and students turned out in force on Saturday to protest against cut-backs at Tower Hamlets College. More than 500 campaigners gathere

by Gemma Collins

HUNDREDS of lecturers and students turned out in force on Saturday to protest against cut-backs at Tower Hamlets College.

More than 500 campaigners gathered at Altab Ali Park in Whitechapel for a rally as part of their ongoing fight against the loss of 13 teaching posts along with cuts in English courses for speakers of other languages.

Tory councillor Tim Archer urged the protesters to support his emergency motion for Tower Hamlets Council to fund the cuts itself which will be debated at the next full council meeting on Wednesday October 14.

And Bethnal Green & Bow MP George Galloway also spoke to the crowd before around 100 balloons were released with messages to college Principal Michael Farley, asking him to stop the cuts.

College bosses are blaming the Learning and Skills Council, the government department responsible for funding education and training, which they say has reduced its funding for adult places at the college by 3,000 in the last three years.

But the Tower Hamlets branch secretary Richard McEwan said: "It comes down to such a small number of jobs so we are saying let us find a solution that these 13 people are happy with.