Thousands of students were due to protest against higher education reforms outside a London Met building today.

They marched through the City of London from midday towards a scheduled rally at 3.30pm in Moorgate opposite London Metropolitan University.

Demonstrators were expected to pass through Trafalgar Square, Fleet Street and by St Paul’s Cathedral.

Protesters from Occupy London camped outside St Paul’s planned to join the march.

Students are furious with government plans to increase university tuition fees to �9,000 a year.

More than 4,000 Metropolitan Police Service officers were deployed to prevent a repeat of the violent clashes which occurred during the student march in November last year.