CRIES of “Barnet Council, shame on you!” rose outside the London borough council’s headquarters today morning as frontline mental health social workers began another three weeks of strike action.

Barnet Unison secretary John Burgess sported a placard marking the workers’ 38th day of action in the dispute so far.

“There is a crisis in mental health services here in Barnet,” Mr Burgess told the picket-line rally, “and these workers are brave enough to stand up to their employer that’s turning its back not just on the social workers but on service users and families.”