STUDENTS staged a demonstration outside Romsey Conservatives HQ against government education cuts and rises in university tuition fees.

The students handed a 1,160-name petition to Romsey and Southampton North MP, Caroline Nokes, calling on the Government not to go ahead with the cuts and increases in fees.

About a dozen Southampton University students were involved in Friday’s peaceful protest in the Market Place.

Passing motorists beeped their horns and put their thumbs up in support of the demonstrators who were chanting “No ifs, no buts, no education cuts” and “£3k is fine, but not £9k”. Vice-president of academic affairs of Southampton University Students’ Union, Rob Stanning, said he and his colleagues had to make a stand against the Government’s proposals to increase university fees by nearly £6,000 annually. Rob said: “We were here on behalf of at least 4,500 students who live in the Romsey and Southampton North constituency.”

He later met with Mrs Noke and interviewed her on camera. “We have been putting a lot of pressure on eight MPs in the area and I delivered 35 letters from people in Caroline’s constituency to her with a petition with 1,160 names on it. We hope she will stand up for us and vote against the education cuts and the fee rises.

“Caroline told me that she would take the letters and petition into consideration.”

Mr Stanning who distanced himself from the students involved in the ugly protest at the Conservative HQ in London, added: “We have been getting a lot of support from the public and schoolchildren who aspire to go onto university and are worried about rising fees.

“Since the summer, we’ve been meeting MPs to try to resolve it peacefully.”

The eight MPs are Mrs Nokes, Alan Whitehead, John Denham, Mike Hancock, Maria Miller, Andrew Turner, Steve Brine and Chris Huhne and have university links in or close to their constituencies. Student, Rebecca Hall, said: “A lady came across and tried to give us £5 to buy hot drinks, but we refused to take it. It’s nice to know people out there are supporting us.

“About 20 people came up to us and said they supported what we are doing. It’s brilliant to have the support.”

Susan Hartley, a member of the public who went across to Palmerston’s statue where the students were gathered to give them her support said: “I think education is of paramount importance and cutting back funding for it is short sightedness.” But the protest didn’t go down well with everyone, a disgusted Joanne Hill, who has two grandchildren at university, commented: “Standing and screaming in the middle of the Market Place is not the way to go about it, if you want people on side.

“They should be in a warm classroom doing their lessons, not chanting here in Romsey.”

Mrs Nokes said after the meeting: “I had an interview and a constructive conversation with Rob Stanning. I hope the students understood why I could only meet Rob, because I had a morning of back-to-back meetings.

But I appreciate the fact the protest was peaceful. I promised to listen to what the students have to say and want a constructive dialogue, but the reality of this is we have a very difficult economic situation and it’s inevitable that the current system of funding higher education is going to have to undergo some change.”