The cost of the Student demonstration

The student demonstration in December has reportedly cost the taxpayer up to £100,000 to clean up. December saw furious students demonstrating their disappointment and anger at the government’s plan to increase tuition fess across London. However, this became a violent affair with many protestors becoming violent.

It has been reported that in Parliament Square alone, metal barriers were torn down, students painted a black anarchist's 'A' sign on a wall and smeared graffiti on all the statues and on St Margaret's Church. In other areas bus stops, benches, sign-posts, statues and five red listed phone booths in the area were also targeted and the Supreme Court and the Treasury building also fell victim to crime.  Students rampaged through London and even targeted high street stores Topshop on Oxford Street and Austin Reed on Regent Street by smashing windows and spraying graffiti.

It took 80 cleaners to work through the night around Westminster, cleaning up after the destructive rampage that has left many onlookers in shock and disgust.

Leader of Westminster Council, Councillor Colin Barrow commented:

"We must congratulate the police for the constraint they showed and also our street staff who did an admirable job overnight, cleaning up extensive rubbish and removing graffiti that had been ruthlessly daubed on every statue and road sign that could be found. The behaviour of the protesters will ultimately cost taxpayers tens of thousands of pounds and mean that our staff had to be diverted from their usual tasks."