Regional daily journalists have completed a two-day strike over low pay.

Members of the National Union of Journalists at the Swindon Advertiser picketed for a second day yesterday outside the newspaper’s Victoria Road offices after what they described as an “amazing” first day of action on Tuesday.

However, the Advertiser’s parent company Newsquest accused the NUJ of not being “in touch with the real world” in a statement on the paper’s website.

The strike followed a number of recent job cutbacks at the company’s Swindon offices.

NUJ members on the picket line in Swindon yesterday

A spokesman for the union’s Swindon chapel said of the first day of action: “It’s been an amazing day. We could never have imagined the level of support we have received from people today.

“It has buoyed us on and strengthened our resolve.”

During yesterday’s picket, strikers received support from colleagues from Bristol, Oxford and London, as well as Labour councillors and activists.

A piece about the strike appeared on the Advertiser’s website yesterday, along with an accompanying statement from Newsquest Wiltshire managing director Chris Moore.

He said: “We are disappointed that the NUJ has taken this stance and it seems they are not in touch with the real world and oblivious to the huge pressures on the economics of local newspapers.

“Despite the fact that Swindon’s revenues are declining by more than 10pc, the staff there received a pay increase just four months ago.

“We are of course happy to continue to have meaningful discussions with the NUJ in order to resolve this issue.”