Striking staff from two Newsquest York newspapers have received "fantastic support", according to those on the picket line.

Around 25 reporters, photographers and sub-editors from daily title The Press and the weekly Gazette and Herald started five days of industrial action yesterday.

It is the latest stage in a pay dispute between the National Union of Journalists and Newsquest York which spans eight months.

The union says the company's three per cent pay offer is not enough and members are angry that management will not match pay-offers given to journalists at other Newsquest centres.

Speaking from the picket line, joint father of the NUJ chapel Sam Southgate said: "It has been fantastic. We're getting a lot of support from members of the public.

"BBC Radio York, Minster FM and Look North have all been down.

"We have had good coverage which is encouraging. We want to make our point to as many people as possible so it's great that the media has come down.

"We're getting tons of messages of support, from texts and phone calls to around £500 in donations towards cost of running the strike."

The first-ever strike action by the NUJ took place in 1911 by staff from the York Herald, now amalgamated into the Gazette and Herald.

Staff were protesting over working conditions and lengthy shifts – a dispute which took 11 years to resolve.

Chapel members in York are dressing up in Dickensian costumes as part of the strike to illustrate what they call the 'Dickensian conditions' they are working in today.

During the strike, the two titles are being put together by managers from other Newsquest centres and freelancers.

Sam added: "They are going to be stretched. Nearly all the sports team and virtually every sub is out.

"Management have not been out to speak to us and we're not expecting them to.

"We want management to come back to the table with a better offer. We've said all along that we deserve an above rate-of-inflation pay rise."

Newsquest York management said last week they were 'astonished' after the NUJ announced the strike action.

No-one from Newsquest was available for comment on the strike.