THE story of women workers' bitter battle for equal pay in Essex more than 50 years ago gets the musical treatment later this month.

Made in Dagenham tells the story of the women who made seats for Ford cars at the company's Essex plant.

Rita O'Grady led the fight for women to have equal pay to men in the strike of 1968.

Two years later, Labour Employment Minister Barbara Castle, who had backed the Ford sewing machinists, introduced a bill which would become the 1970 Equal Pay Act, forcing employers to pay women the same as men for equivalent work.

The original 2010 hit film Made in Dagenham starred Sally Hawkins, Bob Hoskins, Miranda Richardson, Geraldine James, Rosamund Pike, Andrea Riseborough, Jaime Winstone, Daniel Mays and Richard Schiff.

The musical version is now being performed by Witham Amateur Operatic Society.

Based on the award-winning film, it features fantastic songs, gritty dialogue, with Prime Minister Harold Wilson and Barbara Castle.

The production comes to Witham Public Hall from October 25-30 with shows at 7.30pm and a 2.30pm Saturday matinee.

Tickets are £16 from Witham Town Hall, or online from waos.org or call 0300 201 0080.