STUDENTS at Durham University will hold a rally today to protest about rent increases.

Earlier this year, the university council agreed a rise of £200, plus inflation, to be paid by undergraduates at the university's 13 colleges.

University managers said the extra money was needed to maintain and improve accommodation, but Durham Students' Union said the increase would make the university less attractive to new students.

The rally, on Palace Green, is the latest in a series of protests, including a sleep-out outside the vice-chancellor's house, in May.