British Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg yesterday faced tough questioning from students during a fraught meeting on the tuition fee hike.

Students at the meeting de-scribed the atmosphere as “really angry” as they raised concerns that the government’s plans to allow universities to charge up to £9,000 a year will leave graduates facing years of debt.

The Deputy Prime Minister and leader of the Liberal Democrats held the discussion as Universities Minister David Willetts unveiled the government’s proposals.

Clare Solomon, president of the University of London Student Union, claimed the meeting was simply a “publicity stunt”.

She said: “The atmosphere inside the room was really angry.

“Students from both higher education and further education had massive issues with the way Nick Clegg tried to trap us into the meeting at this time.”

She added: “He called us in for 1p.m., the decision was ann-ounced at 12.30 p.m., how were we supposed to download this information? We went in there blind and he tried to pull the wool over us.

“Any detailed report like this needs analysing, he can’t just sit here and tell us what’s in it and expect us to believe it.”

Ms Solomon added: “The whole thing was a publicity stunt, he wanted to be able to say he had consulted with a wide range of students.”

She said that concerns were raised that the government is drastically cutting funding, particularly for arts and humanities subjects, and that fees of £9,000 will put off students from working class backgrounds.

Students from Goldsmiths College, University of London stormed Deptford Town Hall, which houses offices for senior management.