Strike alight: Greece's 20th general strike in two years erupts into violence

Riot police were pelted with petrol bombs in a huge anti-cuts demo in Athens today.

Violence erupted as 70,000 protesters took to the streets during the 20th general strike in debt-ridden Greece in under two years.

Hundreds of youths also bombarded police with chunks of marble and bottles outside the parliament building.

Riot police responded with volleys of tear gas and stun grenades in the capital’s Syntagma Square outside Parliament.

A 65-year-old man - a retired ship worker -died of a heart attack during the demo.

The man was taken to hospital but efforts to revive him failed.

It was not immediately clear if he had been caught up in the rioting when he fell ill.

Four demonstrators were injured after being hit by police.

The strike grounded flights, shut down public services, schools, hospitals and shops.

Taxi drivers joined in for nine hours, while a three-hour work stoppage by air traffic controllers led to flight cancellations.

Islands were left cut off as ferries stayed in ports.

The ecomomy is facing £11 billion economy cuts aimed to prevent it from going bankrupt and potentially having to leave the 17-nation eurozone.

A similar demonstration by about 17,000 people in the northern city of Thessaloniki ended peacefully.