More than 200 pensioners, disabled people and trade unionists rallied outside a Yorkshire court yesterday in solidarity with two campaigners arrested while protesting at concessionary travel cuts.

George Arthur, 64, and Tony Nuttall, 65, appeared before Sheffield magistrates charged with obstructing the police.

Retired teacher Mr Arthur and retired health service officer Mr Nuttall are members of the Freedom Riders.

The group was founded in Barnsley to protest at South Yorkshire public transport bosses’ axing of free travel for pensioners and disabled people.

Since March the Freedom Riders have been boarding trains from Barnsley to Sheffield and refusing to pay.

At the last weekly protest on June 23 British Transport Police (BTP) kettled 60 protesters at Sheffield railway station as they staged a rally.

Transport police moved in, knocking over a blind woman and pushing past disabled people, and arrested Mr Arthur. 

Mr Nuttall was arrested when he challenged officers. Police pushed his head down between his knees and frog-marched him across the platform.

Two people needed hospital treatment.

Mr Arthur told the rally that Prime Minister David Cameron and Chancellor George Osborne were behind the transport cuts.

“These are the people who have cut back funds to local councils. These are the people who think public services should be smashed. These are the people who are going to privatise cancer treatment,” he said.

The two men were cheered as they entered the court building.

A security guard made them remove their T-shirts bearing the words “Freedomriders” and “We will not be stopped.”

Both men pleaded not guilty and the case was adjourned to December 8.

The prosecution asked for bail to be conditional on the men not entering the rail network without valid tickets — which would have stopped their involvement in freedom ride protests.

The magistrates refused after being told there was no ticket machine at the station the two use.

Mr Arthur vowed to take part in forthcoming freedom rides.

Both men are members of Unite Community, which is providing legal representation.