Around 60 women marched to Harley Street on Saturday calling for private clinics to replace PIP breast implants.

The group met in London with placards which read "Toxic Time Bombs" and "Health Before Wealth".

Their first target was The Harley Medical Group, which fitted the implants in almost 14,000 British women, and has said it will not replace them free of charge.

They fitted more of the implants than any other UK cosmetic surgery firm but claims replacing the banned implants would put it out of business.

The demonstration, organised on Facebook, then went to the office of Transform on nearby New Cavendish Street, which has also said it will not replace the implants without charge.

Insurance consultant Mia Wood, from Doncaster, said: "I'm angry, I'm frustrated, I'm crying every day.

"They are so happy to take our money but not prepared to help support us."

She said the women want the private clinics - not the NHS - to replace their implants because "we've paid for a service".

Wood added that she cannot afford to pay the cost of almost £3,000 quoted to have her implants replaced.

Gemma Pepper, from Darlington, said she was distraught when she first found out there was a problem with the implants.

"I was in tears for about three days. I hadn't slept.

"I'm feeling a lot better now that I know we can fight back after meeting these amazing ladies," she said.

Stacey Williams, from Portsmouth, complained that clinics which have gone into liquidation since fitting the implants and reopened under a different name are offering no support.

"They say because they are a different company we aren't covered any more."

Meanwhile the government is running a national press advertising campaign this weekend advising women what to do if they have the implants.

Adverts are appearing in national newspapers and will be featured on websites from Monday, while GP surgeries and other parts of the NHS will be urged to display them.

The advice reiterates the government's view that there is no evidence to support routine removal of the implants unless women have symptoms such as pain and tenderness.

It stresses that experts have found no link with cancer and that there is no clear evidence of an increased risk of harm compared to other brands of breast implants.

Around 40,000 women in the UK received implants manufactured by the now-closed French company Poly Implant Prostheses (PIP).

The implants were filled with non-medical grade silicone intended for use in mattresses.