ABOUT 30 students are staging a sit-in protest in a building at the University of York to voice their anger at rising tuition fees and education cuts.

The group have gathered in the site's Exhibition Centre in the wake of a string of national marches and demonstrations earlier this week.

The students say they plan to remain in the building until December 16, with the protest being staged after a Facebook group advertising its intentions was set up.

"We're here because we condemn the proposed cuts on further and higher education," said participants Tara Jessop and Luke Capps.

"We are calling on the university to support us in also condemning the education reforms. There is great importance attached to the means by which we're presenting our demands by creating an alternative space on campus, inviting people to join us, having a shared space to exchange ideas, foster dialogue and show the potential the university holds."

The students say they plan to continue their sit-in round the clock.