Rover families take fight to No 10

The wives and children of Rover workers took their protest against job losses to Downing Street today.

They arrived in a convoy of coaches on a mission designed to tug at the heart strings - and purse strings - of the Government.

Children took a day off school and rose at dawn to board coaches at the Rover car factory in Longbridge in Birmingham for the journey south.

Rover, which employs 6,000, has been put into administration after talks with its only real saviour, the Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation, broke down last week.

Gemma Cartwright, who organised today's protest, said she was watching TV with her four children when the Rover news broke. "They were crying. I knew we had to do something," said Mrs Cartwright, 28. "This has been horrendous. I am not the only person who is going through this.

"We just want to show Tony Blair how we feel. I hoped Rover and the companies kept going by it in the Midlands-would provide jobs for my children in the future."

She said her daughter Tiaadelia was the first child to be born in Birmingham on 2 May 1997 under the new Blair government.

Daniel Hanks, 14, voiced the thoughts of many of the child protesters.

"We would like all the 6,000 jobs at Rover to be kept and for Tony Blair, John Towers (chairman of MG Rover's owner Phoenix Venture Holdings) and Shanghai Automotive to come to an agreement to get the jobs back," he said. "My dad has worked there for 15 years in the paint workshop. He comes home happy from work.This will end all that. "

His mother, Liz, 39, hopes the delivery of a letter to No10 will propel the Government into action. But she is concerned the demise of Rover will now be strung out until after the election.

Administrators at PricewaterhouseCoopers are continuing efforts to revive talks aimed at securing a partnership deal with SAIC but there has been no sign of progress.

Mrs Hanks said: "We are told we have a slim chance - that's all we have to cling on to."