A group of mums facing eviction from a youth hostel confronted the council bosses yesterday who plan to send them packing to save cash.

Twenty-nine mums, expecting mums and their supporters descended on the offices of Newham Council and East Thames housing association.

They held a tea party with their children in protest at plans to force them to move out of the Focus E15 hostel because of funding cuts.

Newham Council wants to move the women to private rented accommodation hundreds of miles away in Manchester, Birmingham and Hastings.

But the proposal has been rejected as "social cleansing" by campaigners and the women are fighting for social housing in London.

Jasmin Stone, who lives at the hostel with her one-year-old daughter Safia, joined the demonstration.

"We feel like we've managed to say what we needed to say. Even if they're not going to listen to us, at least we've got it off our chests," she told the Star.

"We're in fighting mode, we're not going to give up, we're definitely going to carry on until something is done."

Ms Stone said she is desperate to leave the temporary accommodation but wants to stay in London where she has a support network.

"Moving with young children is not stable. Safia would have to keep moving schools and out of London she wouldn't even be able to see her nan," she said.

The women were joined at the protest by Newham residents and members of Hackney housing campaign Digs.

Resident Hannah Caller said: "This decision by Newham Council amounts to social cleansing, which we're seeing across London. Why should these young mothers have to leave just because it is cheaper for the council to house them outside of the capital?"

Newham Council did not respond to a request for comment but a spokeswoman for East Thames insisted the women were not being evicted.

A statement said: "Without support services for the mother and baby unit, the foyer is not a suitable environment for young children and, as such, East Thames has taken the difficult decision to stop housing young mums in the foyer once the existing mums have moved out."