Dozens of protesters have gathered at Warwickshire County Council headquarters after three councillors were accused of making offensive comments about children with special needs.
Holding placards, the campaigners stood outside Shire Hall ahead of a meeting to approve the county council's annual budget before gathering in the chamber gallery.
The Conservative councillors at the centre of the row have apologised for their comments, which were made during a council meeting last month.
Council leader Izzi Seccombe has admitted relations with children with special educational needs (SEND) and their families had been “damaged”.
The remarks included the claim some children were "just really badly behaved", and that parents were swapping diagnosis tips on social media.
“As parents and carers, we’re all just a bit fed up of jumping through hoops and this week’s comments just tipped us over the edge,” said Abbie Mundy, a mum of two, one of whom is autistic.
“The language used was damaging and they really need to take responsibility for their words.
“As soon as I saw the video, I felt sick, it’s out of date and they need to be educated more on SEND, they are making these decisions but they know nothing about it.”
