SCHOOLS were closed and traffic disrupted by a national strike over pensions which brought many public services to a grinding halt in Cheshire.

Several unions took part in Tuesday's 24-hour strike which shut all the county's special schools as well as Bishops High School in Chester and partially closed Bishop Heber High School at Malpas.

Motorists travelling to Liverpool were faced with the problem that the road tunnels at Birkenhead were closed - meaning all traffic converged on the Runcorn bridge bottle-neck causing major congestion.

Meanwhile, county hall and town halls were closed along with switchboards. There was only a limited street cleaning service although the bins in Chester were collected as normal. Day centres used by the elderly were all closed for the day.

The strike also affected civilian staff working for Cheshire police but the impact on the service was described as 'minimal'.

There was a picket line at the University of Chester involving catering services but otherwise it was business as usual.

Unions are angry at government plans to scrap a rule that allows some to retire on a full pension at 60. Councils say increasing costs mean this must rise to 65, although police officers, teachers, nurses and fire-fighters have been protected.

The Government will want to see the dispute settled because of echoes of the 'Winter of Discontent' which helped bring down a Labour administration in 1979 when the dead went unburied and dustbins went unemptied.

Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott this week called for both sides to return swiftly to negotiations.

Meanwhile, the delivery of Mother's Day cards and presents was delayed across the city following a wildcat strike by postal workers at Royal Mail's delivery office in Station Road, Chester.

About 200 workers walked out on Friday after a colleague was dismissed.

Mail deliveries to more than 70,000 homes were affected by the strike which began at 6am.

Royal Mail spokeswoman Wendy Martin said staff worked hard on Saturday to try and clear the back-log but it was inevitable some Mother's Day cards would not have been delivered in time. She apologised to customers.

Mrs Doreen Russell of Hough Green, Chester, was among the many mums left disappointed when cards did not arrive from her daughters. She described the situation as 'absolutely disgraceful'.