ANTI-BEDROOM Tax protestors forced councillors to switch venues after disrupting a full meeting of members.

In scenes more akin to those at a football stadium, the huddled group of about 40 protestors - from Bolton Against Bedroom Tax - rained chants down the makeshift chamber in a Bolton Library lecture theatre.

Council officers were forced to move members into the Octagon next door to continue the 7pm meeting, with the town hall currently unavailable due to refurbishment. 

The delayed meeting eventually resumed at about 7.40pm, with some protestors chained together in the library, with security staff and police officers tasked with calming the situation.

The protestors want the council to adopt a "no evictions" policy, and have the Bedroom Tax issue debated at full council. 

Bolton Council leader Cllr Cliff Morris condemned the protestors' actions, and thanked staff at the Octagon for being so hospitable at such short notice.

He said: "We had to continue the meeting as there were important issues to discuss.

"I don't know what more they want. We, through Bolton at Home, have put in place a no evictions policy so no one in a Bolton at Home property in difficulties from the Bedroom Tax can be evicted. 

"I understand the Bedroom Tax is pernicious but the government has decided that is what they want.

"Legally we can't do anything about it.

"It is brilliant that the Octagon allowed us to use their facility, though."

The meeting did not even open as, after prayers, Mayor Cllr Carole Swarbrick's attempts to convene it were thwarted by repeated chanting.

The protestors were initially angered by the chamber's refusal to observe a minute's silence for the people whose deaths have been attributed to the controversial tax.

They drowned out Cllr Swarbrick, who repeatedly asked them to be quiet, before she adjourned the meeting and advised the protestors that police and security would remove them. 

Earlier, Bolton Against Bedroom Tax had staged a protest outside the library, with members congregating on the steps.

The group's spokesman Linda Charnock said: "We got 4,000 signatures on a petition and it was handed to Cliff Morris 10 months ago. 

"We asked for it to be discussed at a full council meeting and it has not been. 

"Labour is against the Bedroom Tax and we voted for Labour councillors so they would support us.

"Tonight is a message that we are not going away."

Cllr Nick Peel said: "This is not mob rule, you cannot demand things are put on our agenda.

"If they had requested this, something could have been sorted out, but they did not."