Updated: London tuition fees protest turns violent

A demonstration against higher tuition fees by tens of thousands of students and lecturers descended into violence, leaving at least 10 people needing hospital treatment.

Police officers and students were injured after clashes during the march in central London, leaving Scotland Yard to defend its policing of the demonstration which it admitted was unexpected.

Union leaders, who organised the march, condemned the violence, which they blamed on a minority of protesters who had "hijacked" the event.

Met Police Commissioner Sir Paul Stephenson said: "It's not acceptable. It's an embarrassment for London and for us."

He added: "I am determined to have a thorough investigation into this matter. We didn't expect this level of violence."

National Union of Students president Aaron Porter said a small minority of protesters had "hijacked" the march, describing the violence as "despicable".

He said the violence was not part of the organisers' plans, blaming the trouble on a "small minority" he believed had arranged it beforehand.

"We talked about the need to prevent anything like this and how important it was to act in a responsible way. Unfortunately a minority have undermined us," he added.

Riot police are attempting to drive a crowd away from Millbank Tower, next to the River Thames in central London, which houses the Conservative Party headquarters and was the centre of the trouble.

A number of arrests were made as police clashed with a group of trouble-makers, some wearing scarves on their faces to hide their identity.