DISABLED campaigners held a protest outside Parliament to fight against the closure of their centre.

Fifty people from the Queen Elizabeth Foundation Resource Centre in Brent Way, Dartford have held demonstrations in Maidstone, Gravesend, Swanley and Dartford.

This time they headed for the capital last Monday (July 21).

The centre, which is due to be closed in October by Kent County Council (KCC), provides activities and day services to people with physical disabilities.

One campaigner 42-year-old Sonia Mallion of Oliver Road, Swanley said: "It was really quite a good day. We raised awareness.

"We got all the taxi and bus drivers tooting. We had curtains twitching at Parliament."

KCC have drawn up a list of replacement services throughout Dartford, Gravesend and Swanley but members of the current centre do not think they are adequate.

Gravesham MP Adam Holloway and Dartford MP Howard Stoate were unavailable to accept a 5,412 signature petition from them.

Chatham and Aylesford MP Jonathan Shaw came out to take it.

He said: "The Resource Centre has given many of my constituents and many others across Kent the confidence, enthusiasm and a future plan to look forward to, which they did not have before.

"It has been a considerable challenge to get so many people from around Kent to Westminster.

"The campaigners must be congratulated and their cause and distress is real and overwhelming."