NEWSREADER: Traffic was brought to a halt today for four hours in the old market town of Oakton. Demonstrators protesting at years of delays in providing the town with a by-pass packed roads in the centre of the town, preventing traffic from flowing in or out. Such was the volume of protesters – it was estimated there were something like 7,000 at one time – that police were powerless to do anything. Only when the protest rally broke up late this afternoon was traffic again allowed to flow through the town. A report now from our reporter in Oakton, John Jones. JOHN JONES: The townspeople of Oakton have had enough. That was the clear message of the protest rally today which attracted more than 7,000 participants - not only townspeople, but also many from outlying villages. Oakton is on the most direct route between two of our main ports and therefore increasingly used by heavy lorries, juggernauts and holiday-makers. It's also one of the oldest market towns in this part of the country, and as such, the centre is made up of houses and other buildings, many of which were built in the Middle Ages. Ten years ago the town was promised a by-pass, but successive governments and reports have held up proceedings and now, ten years later, there is still no sign of the by-pass. I spoke to Ray Griffiths, one of the town councillors. RAY GRIFFITHS: What amazes me is the fact that we've been promised a new by-pass on so many occasions, and still nothing's happened. It's very depressing. We can see our old town beginning to suffer badly from the traffic that ploughs through here every day. But it's pure exasperation that's led us today to protest in the way we have done. And, by the way, it's the Council that's led the protest this time. All of us! Against the Government! So the people of Oakton have made their feelings felt. It's now up to the Government. John Jones. Oakton.