‘WASPI Warriors’ from Keighley and Skipton chose International Women’s Day to highlight the pensions plight of women born in the 1950s.

They gathered for a public demonstration outside Skipton Town Hall with fellow campaigners from Lancaster, Pendle and Grimsby.

They wanted to raise awareness of women who have had their pensions delayed for up to six years due to changes in the national retirement age.

WASPI stands for Women Against State Pension Inequality.

Campaign spokesman Sally Lambert, from Barnoldswick, said: “Keighley and Ilkley MP John Grogan sent a representative, and pledged his support for the women.

“We had a great deal of support from the general public and passing cars! Women came from as far afield as Grimsby.”

Sally said WASPI was about the lack of effective notice, preparation and financial knock-on effects of the increase in state pension age for women.

She added: “The WASPI Campaign is fighting for justice for all women, born in the 1950s, affected by the changes to the State Pension Age.

“WASPI is not against equalisation, but we do not accept the unfair way the changes to our SPA were implemented with inadequate or no notice. These changes affect around 5,000 women in the Keighley constituency.

“John Grogan MP is in full support of the women in asking that the government looks again at the injustice of this, and how it is causing many women financial hardship.”

Mr Grogan first met the WASPI Warriors in April last year at Keighley Civic Centre to talk about the financial and emotional impact caused by the acceleration of the State pension Age for women born in the 1950s.

At the time the MP said 4,200 women in the Keighley and Ilkley constituency had been affected by the Act of Parliament in 2011, which raised the age at which they could claim their pension.

He said: “They were given very little notice of this change and had no time to adjust their saving plans.”

Mr Grogan was a member of an All Party Parliamentary Group that last year consulted a large number groups throughout the country that were campaigning to achieve redress.

Women in their 50s and 60s have been hit by the government’s decision to increase the female state pension age from 60 to 66.