Social workers stormed their boss's office in a protest fuelled by fears of recriminations over the death of four-year-old John Smith.

Morale has hit rock bottom among Brighton and Hove social workers, who accuse social services director Allan Bowman of blaming his staff for the death of the boy.

The mood of protest was growing today as other campaigners demonstrated outside the first full council meeting since the city's mayoral referendum.

Some of the 4,000 people fighting the closure of respite home Knoll House were expected to be joined by others battling to keep breast cancer care in the city as well as more angered by the way the referendum was handled.

Yesterday a crowd of more than 100 social workers demanded an audience with Mr Bowman.

The workers staged a two-hour walk-out which began with a noisy demonstration outside the King's House council office in Hove.

They then moved inside, occupying Mr Bowman's office for 30 minutes to await a confrontation.

When Mr Bowman failed to arrive the demonstrators assembled in the main foyer, blocking the reception area to visitors and staff.

It took the intervention of council chief executive David Panter to disperse the crowd.

The social workers' fury was triggered by a report which Mr Bowman said showed staff had not followed proper procedures in looking after John Smith.

John's adoptive parents Simon and Michelle McWilliam, of Fishersgate, were this week convicted of cruelty to the child who died of a brain haemorrhage on Christmas Eve 1999. He had 54 bruises and bite marks on his body.

Social workers Dave Pamely and John Barrow are on suspension as their role in the case is investigated. Colleagues believe they have been made scapegoats for his death.

Protester Lina Ksendziuk said: "It was a spontaneous thing which we had not planned. We drifted into the building in ones and twos before going to his office.

"We were angry that Mr Bowman had made statements to the Press without speaking to his staff first.

"The mood was angry but it was certainly not menacing. A number of senior staff came to see us but we said we only wanted to talk to Allan."

Mr Bowman said: "I was not there yesterday to hear the points they wanted to make. I originally offered to meet a delegation with council leader Ken Bodfish, but they turned that down."

"They have now agreed to do that and we will be holding a meeting with them this afternoon."

A council spokesman said: "Mr Bowman was in an important management meeting in the building when he was told the protesters had occupied his office.

"He arranged for senior managers to see them and offered to break off the meeting to see a delegation of six with Ken Bodfish. They refused that offer.

"After leaving Mr Bowman's office they went down to the reception area, where they were very noisy and made it difficult for staff and visitors to get through.

"The chief executive went to speak to them to repeat the offer of a meeting with a delegation, but they only wanted to talk to Mr Bowman.

"At that point the chief executive said he did not think the way they were behaving in reception was doing a great service for their profession and their views would be better put across at a proper meeting."