STUDENTS and lecturers joined forces outside Barnet College this lunchtime to protest against planned government education cuts.

MPs are set to vote tomorrow on plans to increase tuition fees, allowing some universities to charge up to £9,000 per year for undergraduates to study.

Around 60 students and lecturers gathered at the new Wood Street campus at the hastily convened demonstration to vent their anger at the plans.

Lecturer David Armstrong told the Times Series they are unhappy at the plans and other cuts which could see several courses cut at the college next year.

He said: “Lots of our students are affected by this, many are going to university next year or the year after. We have to show we support them.

“I think people feel they're being let down by the government in all sorts of ways. The college faces 10-25 per cent cuts next year which is going to affect courses they put on.

“They will cut the number of hours teaching and the class sizes will increase, and many lecturers and back office staff will lose their jobs. It's pretty bleak.”

During the good natured protest Patrick Hourihan, the National Union of Students representative at the college addressed the crowd along with members of three teaching unions.

The protest follows other demonstrations of unrest by students across the borough at the plans, which would also reduce the amount of educational maintenance allowance (EMA) paid to lower-income students.