Croydon's schools were hit by this week's 24-hour public service strike with 16 shutting their doors to pupils.

School caretakers, cooks and classroom assistants joined leisure centre workers, cleaners, office workers, refuse collectors and youth and community staff in the walk-out over pensions.

Croydon Council said 318 out of a possible 10,500 employees went on strike in the borough a claim refuted by unions who say the number was nearer to three times that much.

As well as schools, four day centres, a sports centre, two district libraries as well as part of the town centre's central library were shut.

Picket lines were set up outside council offices in Taberner House, Strand House as well as Croydon College and the Subsmead transport depot in Factory Lane. It is believed the strike also affected the council's call centre, disrupting phone lines.

Croydon's Unison branch secretary Malcolm Campbell said: "That figure of 300 is absolute rubbish.

"There were twice, if not three times, as many.

"We had all sorts on the picket line; social workers, housing officers and we've heard reports that 50 per cent of the call centre went down."

The strike was held over plans to scrap a rule allowing some people to retire on a full pension at 60, which the Government says is discriminatory.

Members of unions Unison, GMB, T&G and Amicus took part in the walk out.

Councillor Ian Payne, cabinet member for economic development and corporate services, said: "Any strike action can only harm the people to whom the council provides services the very same people who help fund our employees' pension arrangements through the council tax."

Croydon Council says many of the schools that closed are for special needs children, which have more assistants than mainstream schools.

It also said a small number of parking attendants went on strike but refuse and recycling collection as well as street cleaning services were largely unaffected.

A council spokesman said: "The council's primary concern was to minimise disruption to services and this appears to have been the outcome of the strike action."

Schools and services closed

- Victoria House PRU; All Saints Infants and Juniors; Davidson Primary; David Livingstone Primary; Redgates; St Giles; St Nicholas; Beckmead (part only); Westwood Language College; St Mary's Infants; Broadmead Infants; Woodside Infants, Nursery and Juniors; Cyprus Infants; Tollgate; Broadmead Juniors; Parish Church Infants and Juniors

- Broad Green and New Addington libraries as well as part of Central Library

- Monks Hill Sports Centre

- Heavers Farm Day Centre, Cherry Orchard Day Centre, Peter Sylvester Resource Base and New Addington Resource Bases