PUBLIC services across Hampshire ground to a halt today following a bitter row between civil servants and the Govern-ment.

Picket lines were formed at courts, tax offices, job centres, galleries and driving test centres as members of the Public and Commercial Services union staged a 24-hour walkout in protest over jobs, pay and privatisation.

The nationwide strike hit up to 200 Government departments and agencies, disrupting tax and benefit processing, customs and revenue, help for jobseekers and a range of other services.

The action signals an escalation of a long-running dispute. The union has been complaining that the Government is pressing ahead with cutting 100,000 civil service jobs, privatising services and keeping pay rises below the rate of inflation.

Carol Barnett, Hampshire branch secretary for HM Revenue and Customs, said the cutbacks will have a huge affect on the county.

She said: "The Government are looking at cutting 500 civil servants from the Southampton area alone. It is estimated that for every job lost, 15 people will be affected. The implications are simply huge - by stripping back the services, over a million people in the county could be affected.

Coffin carried "Any service covered by central Government will come to a stop. We are hoping that the strike action will bring to people's attention the shocking number of people that will suffer if services are cut."

Mrs Barnett added that at the Southampton office of HM Revenue and Customs a wreath was being laid and a coffin carried round to "mark the death of the service" in the area.

A cabinet office spokesman said: "As the Government has said repeatedly, there is absolutely no need to strike. We value civil servants highly. They do a great job for the public.

"At a time when the Government is increasing investment in public services no organisation, including the civil service, can be immune from the need for change, both to ensure value for money and to adapt to new technology.

"There is an established process through which unions can raise any issues of concern they have with these changes without going on strike."