The sit-in at the Iran Aid offices in North Finchley entered its seventh week yesterday as workers vowed to continue their fight to help loved ones back home.

Volunteers mounted a legal challenge in early November to end an investigation into the High Road charity's affairs by the Charity Commission and hold on to confidential files.

While the stalemate continues, Iran Aid's funds have been frozen, theoretically starving thousands of families in Iran in need of support.

Workers took the decision to occupy their offices round the clock to prevent staff from receiver/managers PriceWaterhouseCoopers taking the sensitive files, which contain names and addresses of beneficiairies in Iran.

They have pledged to continue the sit-in until charity funds are released and the the files are secured. Workers insist the charity's role is humanitarian and not political.

Commissioners were tipped off by an undisclosed source in July that the charity was involved in political action against President Khatami's government in Iran.

This is denied by workers who insist Iran Aid's role is humanitarian and has no links with the opposition National Resistance Council.

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