Midwives went on strike in the pouring rain for the first time in a century over poor pay and working conditions.

Midwifery staff from St Peters Hospital, Maldon, downed tools between 7am-11am on Monday, forfeiting pay to highlight problems affecting the workforce.

The strike aimed to disrupt the work of the maternity unit as little as possible, with staff continuing to work on the ward.

Those on strike were told if there was an emergency they would have to return to work.

This is the first time the Royal College of Midwives (RCM) has taken a ballot of members for a strike, in 133 years, prompted by a government rejection of a 1% payrise for staff.

Midwives have been left facing two years of pay restraint, after a previous three.

By 2016 they will only have had a 1% pay increase since 2010.

Midwife Emma Findlayson, 48, said: “We do an incredibly important job and at the moment we are being undervalued.

“We work 13 hour shifts, with no breaks and over time.

“We just want acknowledgement of what we do.”