STUDENTS sent a delivery of dirty washing to the Prime Minister's Sedgefield home - after accusing the Government of taking the shirts off their backs with proposed tuition fees.

Durham University students led a protest march through the city last Wednesday, to demonstrate their opposition to proposed course fees for students. The students claim an annual increase in tuition fees, which could be about £3,000 a year, would become a barrier to education.

Students' Union president Ben Wood led the march from Palace Green, over Elvet Bridge and to the university library at the bottom of South Road. There students symbolically took the shirts off their backs and waved them above their heads.

A group of protesters then set off in a mini bus with a washing basket of shirts, labelled 'dirty washing,' to hand over at Prime Minister Tony Blair's Sedgefield home. Written on the shirts were the students' objections and a letter outlining the students union's opposition.

Mr Wood said: "There was about 600 to 700 on the march, which is really good considering it's three days before exams start and people are in their final days of revision."

The demonstration had been on course to take place several weeks ago, but was postponed out of respect for those involved in the war in Iraq.