Thousands of students have been protesting in central London and Manchester against higher tuition fees and public spending cuts. There were some minor scuffles in Manchester, but the protests were largely peaceful.

In Manchester, where some 3,000 people are estimated to have marched, police moved in to contain a group which broke away from the main body of peaceful protesters.

President of the National Union of Students, Aaron Porter, was led to safety by police after protesters surrounded him in Manchester. Students and trade unions had held a joint rally in the city.

At Millbank in the capital, police lined up to prepare for the day ahead. In November, student protests turned violent there when a number of demonstrators stormed the Conservative Party's headquarters.

As marchers holding placards weaved their way through the streets of London, most focused on the fees hike, but some chanted "revolution, revolution".

The Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg has been one of the focal points for the protesters' anger