HUNDREDS of university, college and school students marched through Kingston and Surbiton this afternoon protesting against rising tuition fees.

The impromptu march started from Kingston University at around 1.30pm, after speakers at a demonstration encouraged the crowd to take action.

Students were protesting against the plans to increase tuition fees in England to £9,000 per year and withdrawing funding for university teaching budgets.

The crowd armed with banners and placards left the Penrhyn Road campus and marched through the town centre before staging a sit in round the College roundabout.

Police were out in force to prevent a possible recurrence of riots that took place outside the Tory headquarters in Millbank two weeks ago.

Business management student Shuwhan Savoury, said: "The government are taking the mick aren't they. Trying to create more opportunities for few because hardly anyone will be able to afford to go to Uni.

"The march is good because it's raising awareness. It's unfortunate that it's taken force but it has worked, they are paying attention now.

"I'm glad this is happening. I usually don't care about things like this, but it's important as they are taking away people's futures."

Sixth form college students joined the march as it made it's way through Surbiton before heading back to the main campus.

Before the march, speakers were mainly attacking the Liberal Democrats for breaking election promises, in particular Kingston MP Ed Davey.

Politics lecturer at the university, Andy Higginbottom was calling for Mr Davey's resignation if he did not oppose the fees.

Mr Higginbottom, said: "We should not give him one minutes rest, we should go down to the surgeries he holds and give him grief.

"The people do not want this increase in tuition fees. He needs to stick to his pledge or he should resign. Education is a right and it should not be reserved for the upper and upper middle class students who will be able to afford it.

"I was very pleased to see all the sixth form students who have made it. It's their future that's at stake."

Social sciences student, Matthew Smith, who helped organise the demonstration, said: "It's been a great success, we've had hundreds of people turn up at short notice. Can anybody name the last demonstration they went to in Kingston?

"This is good as they need to know we will not accept these changes and we need to fight them."