Campaigners in Manchester are calling on Labour not to use disgraced firm G4S to provide security at its annual conference in the city.

Manchester Stop G4S campaigners will stage a demonstration outside the conference venue from noon to 2pm on Sunday and are also running a petition demanding Greater Manchester Council stop employing the firm.

Spokesman John Nicholson said: “Our personal security and the security of public spaces cannot and should not be protected by a company that fails to uphold standards of ethical and commercial provision in this country and across the world.”

In 1980 the city employed 30,000 people to run its services. Now the figure is 5,000 as most services have been handed to private firms including G4S.