Wandsworth town hall was thrown into disarray when demonstrators hurled paper and released a protest banner over councillors’ heads during a meeting, 30 years ago.

The debate between members of Wandsworth Council had to be halted for 45 minutes and police called in after demonstrators in the public gallery refused to keep quiet over a Conservative decision to stop funding Balham Family Centre.

The uproar followed a short discussion on February 12, 1980, about the future of three organisations whose funding was about to be cut off. They also included Wandsworth Housing Project, an independent community agency based in Clapham Junction, and Wandsworth Cooperative Development Group, a service agency for borough housing cooperatives.

Labour councillors failed in an attempt to force a full debate over the funding of all three organisations. Instead the Tories gave the thumbs up to a plan to use the cash to fund three new groups - Victim Support, Catholic Housing Aid Society and St Mary’s Putney Restoration Trust.

Labour councillor, Francis Jones, condemned the Conservative system of priorities for grant-aiding voluntary bodies.

But Tory councillor Gordon Passmore defended the stance and Labour’s request to adjourn the matter was defeated by 30 votes to 20.

Immediately after the vote, there was an outcry from the public gallery. Demonstrators, many of whom had protested against the closure of Balham Family Centre outside the town hall before the meeting, shouted: “Why the family centre?”

Paper was torn up and thrown from the gallery while a long white banner with the words “Chope and Mallam - You are destroying Balham” was unfurled over the edge of the balcony about councillors’ heads.

After repeated requests for members of the public to calm down, Wandsworth’s mayor, Councillor Dennis Mallam, formally adjourned the meeting for 15 minutes so the gallery could be cleared.

However, it was nearly three quarters of an hour before several policemen arrived and ejected the demonstrators.

Afterwards, Balham Family Centre spokeswoman, Sonia Markham, described the funding cut as “in no way logical” and said a committee had been set up to explore fundraising options to keep the centre open.

• Is there a particular year you want recalled in Memory Lane? Let us know by emailing imason@london.newsquest.co.uk, phone the newsdesk on 020 8330 9533 or leave a comment below.