More than a thousand Champagne grape growers this week joined farmers in street protests against execssive tax that led to activists bricking up the entrance to a local government headquarters.

Farmers' unions across France had called for a day of protest on Wednesday (5 November) against excessive taxes and regulation in the agriculture sector.

An estimated 1500 protestors attended many of which on tractors following estimates by local agricultural union FDSEA of approximately 500 tractors likely to turn out.

The schedule of protest allowed three hours for activists to brick up an entrance to prefecture building in Chalons, which houses the area's government.

Images released by radio station France Bleu, which was at the scene, showed that protesters stuck to the plan. They hauled breeze blocks into town and built a makeshift wall in front of the door, even as union leaders prepared to meet the head of the local authority for talks.