Councillors in Merton have approved controversial plans to make £32m of cutbacks.

The cuts will affect a range of council services from day care for people with physical and learning disabilities to parks maintenance and adult education.

The Labour-run council approved the budget last night by a vote of 39 to 21.

However, critics said the decision was wrong.

More than 100 people sang, blew whistles and waved signs outside council offices last night to protest the cuts at a demonstration organised by unions and disability charity Merton Centre for Independent Living.

From yesterday: Disabled people challenge councillors to soccer match ahead of budget meeting for 'playing football with our lives'

From Feb 17: Cash-strapped Merton Council approved plans to axe all its funding for last two youth centres

From Feb 17: Campaigners angry and disappointed after council refuses to back down over budget cuts

Wimbledon Times:

Slim Flegg, the Former Mayor of Merton, said: "I’m here to protest the cuts to the most vulnerable and disabled peoples’ care packages.

"It’s a sad day when a Labour council has to make these sorts of cuts and people who are most vulnerable are an easy target."

Wimbledon Times:

Terry Downes, a supervisor for Merton cemeteries and Unison branch chair, said: "The parks department has seen the brunt of the cuts since the 1980s and we have gone from about 130 people down to just 35.

"We still bring in massive income from the borough and we are not sure what more cuts the service can take."

Wimbledon Times:

Pippa Maslin, a teacher and Morden resident, said: "I’m here because I think that the people on the receiving end of the cuts are not the people who caused the financial crash and they are being punished for something that’s not their fault.”

Wimbledon Times:

Paul Maloney, the regional secretary of the GMB union, said: "The sooner a Labour council stands up to central government and rejects the cuts, the sooner it will have the support of the people.”

The council said its government grant had been cut by about 40 per cent, leaving them with a funding gap of £32m over the next four years.

Councillor Stephen Alambritis, the leader of Merton Council, said: “This year’s budget is about providing hope while taking tough decisions, tough decisions that we cannot afford to put off.

"Not taking them now would exacerbate the position for our residents."

The council voted through £480,000 cuts to youth services, £200,000 cuts to disabled people’s care packages and £387,000 cuts to support packages for elderly people.

It also voted to stop webcasting meetings, saving £35,000 a year, and removing dog waste bins from highways saving £12,000 a year.

However, it said libraries would remain open, an extra £1m would be added to the budget for children, schools and families and it would continue its £74m schools expansion programme to provide an extra 5,000 school places.

Merton Conservatives, who accused the Labour administration of financial “mismanagement”, tabled amendments to protect day centres and webcasting by a number of measures including cutting the council’s £600,000 communications budget.

The amendments were supported by Merton Park Independents councillors and Merton’s single Liberal Democrat councillor, but were not voted through.