Hundreds of female cleaners, caterers and school crossing guards on Tuesday renewed a four-year battle for equal pay at the Court of Appeal. The move came a day after the equality watchdog said it was withdrawing financial support for their case as part of a big strategic shift.

The women, all of whom worked for Redcar & Cleveland council in the North East, claim to have missed out on years of bonuses paid to male workers doing work of equivalent value, such as refuse collection and street sweeping.