A PROTEST has been held against a proposed council tax rise in York.

Supporters of the Taxpayers’ Alliance met in St Helen’s Square to rally support for a freeze in council tax for the next financial year.

Earlier this month, Prime Minister David Cameron urged City of York Council to review its decision to increase council tax by two per cent.

However, council leader James Alexander said freezing council tax would mean further cuts than are already being implemented due to reductions in Government funding, which would effect services.

Andrew Allison, of the alliance, said: “It is important we all join forces and send a clear message to York councillors that increasing council tax would impose an unnecessary burden on hard-working families already struggling to pay their bills.”

Elsewhere, a green “tug of war” was held to protest against the Government’s renewable energy plans.

Friends Of The Earth claims Chancellor George Osbourne is overly reliant on expensive imported gas and says he should invest more in renewable energy.

To illustrate the point, green volunteers from York and Ryedale Friends Of The Earth and People And Planet staged a tug-of-war outside York Art Gallery with an Osborne lookalike.

Guy Wallbanks, energy campaigner, said: “Green is working – while the UK struggles in a double-dip recession the low-carbon sector is growing, paving the way to new jobs.”