THE tuition fees protest got “less pleasant” when police started kettling, the president of a Harrow university's students union says.

Low level clashes started to develop earlier this afternoon in a section of the tuition fees demonstration at Parliament Square, near Victoria Street, after hours of peaceful protest.

Robin Law, president of the University of Westminster Students' Union, said: “The turning point was when it seemed like the police were going to kettle us again.

“It then split into two and when the police started kettling it got a little bit less pleasant and tempers started flaring up.

“It's round about finishing because the police have closed the kettle at one end and they've opened it at the other.

“Some of the people now are just down here to cause trouble.”

He said he felt whichever way MPs vote in the House of Commons today the protest has been successful in turning previously apathetic young people on to politics.

He told the Harrow Times: “What's become clear is the politicisation of the youth. What's clear now is there's going to be a massive backlash against the Lib Dems at the next election.

“Regardless of how the vote goes a lot of students have become very political. They've become aware of the political situation. They've started really reading up and getting into politics.”