DOZENS of young people marched through the centre of Witney in December 1974 to protest about the delay in building a new youth centre.

The 40-strong group presented a petition with 1,000 signatures to Douglas Hurd, the MP for Mid-Oxfordshire, who would later serve as Home and Foreign Secretary.

The petition said a youth centre was proposed back in 1957, but permission to build was refused when plans to demolish 27 Market Square for access – now a Robert Dyas – were rejected.

Protesters added that if work on the new centre was not started before March 31, 1975, the money set aside would be forfeited.

The youth club had been meeting in a Victorian school building, which was due for demolition and needed thousands of pounds to make safe.