TEACHERS from across south Devon took part in the national strike action last week.

Members of the National Education Union were involved in the ongoing dispute over pay and school budgets.

Teachers staged pickets at Coombeshead College in Newton Abbot on both days.

Anna Stewart, NEU rep at Coombeshead, said: ‘No teacher wants to strike and I would have much preferred teaching on those days.

‘However our profession is in crisis with a huge recruitment and retention problem and it seemed to be the only way to get the government to start negotiations.

‘I am delighted that we are now talking but we will have to be careful and make sure that the money doesn’t come out of school budgets as we cannot take any more away from our students.’

Coombeshead College staff joined colleagues from across south Devon, including members from Newton Abbot College and Teignmouth at the national march in London on Budget day.

They joined more than 400,000 other teachers, junior doctors, London Tube staff and civil servants going on strike on the same day Chancellor Jeremy Hunt announced his budget.

The march through central London took in Trafalgar Square and past Downing Street with some civil servants chanting outside as Mr Hunt gave his Budget speech to the Commons.

Organisers estimated 40,000 people, including teachers from Teignbridge, took part.

The NEU is calling for above inflation pay increases and wants schools to get extra budget to cover the additional pay demands.

The ongoing action has affected many Teignbridge schools with partial closures of certain year groups.