STUDENTS from Chelmsford who attended a rally in London that erupted in violence have spoken of their “devastation”.

Forty students from Writtle College and around the same number from Anglia Ruskin University’s Chelmsford campus were amongst the thousands marching through Central London yesterday to protest against the higher tuition fees proposed by the coalition government.

Violence erupted outside the Tory headquarters at Millbank towards the end of the largely peaceful march.

Matt East, president of the ARU Students’ Union, said it was “devastating” to see what had happened and he hoped it would not detract from the message of the demonstration.

“There were about 50,000 people there and we are talking about 200 at the most.

“I do not believe they were students but just a group intending to cause trouble.

“I was in the middle of the march when we got to Millbank and there was a silent protest outside the building with people just sitting on the steps, nothing violent.

“I then saw this group break away and run round the back of the building to climb on to the roof. They did not have placards and had covering over their faces.

“The ethos was peaceful and everyone was having a food time but the carnage has completely overshadowed that.”

Mr East said he thought the police did a good job but should have had more officers around the Tory headquarters building.

Ed Mowbray, Writtle’s Student Union sabbitical officer who also attended the march, said he had not seen anything of what happened and only really knew about it when they had left the demonstration.

“We were incredibly shocked when we saw the pictures. I got a message from the regional officer to ask if we were all present and accounted for “I don’t believe it was students - just others out to cause trouble but I hope we have still been able to get our message across. I think there will be another protest because the feelings of students are very strong - witnessed by those who came from all over the country to be there.”

The University and College Union (UCU) and National Union of Students organised the mass demonstration.

UCU regional official Ben Monks said: “Politicians have consistently let students down over the years. However, these proposals go too far. If implemented, the government’s plans will completely change the landscape of further and higher education. They would represent the final nail in the coffin of affordable university education and the end of genuine choice of degree for thousands of people.

“The rest of the world is investing in education yet we’re doing the opposite.

“College grants that are often the difference between some students being able to study or not – the EMA – are being axed and university students are expected to shoulder the burden of punitive cuts to teaching grants.