THOUSANDS of protesters have made journeys of hundreds of miles today to join today’s anti-austerity demonstration in London.

Coaches were booked from more than 70 towns and cities spread across the country — with some centres filling two or even three coaches.

From Bangor to Barnsley, Darlington to Durham, Hartlepool to Huddersfield, Sunderland to Southend, the protesters have come to London to voice their opposition to another five years of Tory austerity.

More than 80 People’s Assembly Against Austerity groups are now in action across Britain, with more being launched all the time as the next wave of punishing cuts threatens to bring misery to thousands more of Britain’s worst-off citizens.

A determined group from Barnsley in South Yorkshire will also be travelling about 180 miles each way.

One of the organisers is pensioner and Freedom Rider George Arthur.

“People are really keen at the start of the fightback against the Tory government before they have even had a chance to get their feet under the table,” he said.

Alongside his fellow pensioner campaigners, he proudly reported that around a dozen students from Barnsley College had booked their place on board.

Across the Pennines in Burnley, a bus supported by Burnley Unite, North East Lancashire TUC, and Burnley National Union of Teachers will travel 240 miles to the protest.

Organiser Keith Chadwick said: “The mood is one of anger and frustration.

“There is such anger. From my point of view and the People’s Assembly point of view (the demonstration) is about resistance to the Tories.”

Nottingham has organised five coaches to the demonstration and could have filled more.

Stewart Halfworthy of Nottingham People’s Assembly said: “It’s the most we have ever had for a demonstration since Stop the War.

“To be honest we could have filled more but there are no coaches available — it’s June and they are booked on day trips.