�More than 3,000 people have joined a Facebook campaign calling for much-loved soul music sessions to return to Havering’s Time radio station.

Time FM 107.5’s Soul Syndicate DJs have been playing between midday and 6pm every Saturday and Sunday, and weekday evenings, for around three years.

But fans were left angry and upset when they tuned in last weekend to discover the plug had been pulled on their favourite shows.

Now an online Save Our Soul Syndicate page is calling for broadcasters to bring back the popular sessions.

Organiser Chriss Herwig, 46, said: “I’ve been listening for as long as I can remember. It’s the music my kids grew up on; it means everything to me.”

The site attracted hundreds of followers within just 24 hours of launching, on Monday. The mum-of-two, from Dagenham, added: “Surely it shows how much people want it to carry on.”

Presenter Mark Dover, in charge of the station following departure of managing director Peter Stremes, said he told the company which runs the shows, Centreforce, that “things had to change ie it was political” – but it “would not abide”.

Jimmy Low, of Centreforce, said he had been called to Time offices and told the weekend sessions would be slashed to its week night hours of 8pm-midnight.

“Playing all day Saturday and Sunday is what we’re about,” he said.

“People love it. As soon as I was told that, I walked into the studio, packed my equipment, and left.”

Jimmy added: “We brought the biggest DJs in the country; we have made Time FM into a credible talked-about station. The Soul Syndicate has a massive, massive following. We make people happy.”

Adam Philbrick, 44, from Hornchurch, said: “The DJs did it for the love of the music and not for the money. Not many stations play that kind of music these days – so many of the fans are gutted.” Georgie Bromfield founder of ’80s jazz funk band Second Image has thrown his weight behind the crusade.