Some of the protesters took a detour past Downing Street

The march - part of the union's Winning for Students campaign - started out from the University of London and finished in Kennington Park, south London.

The union's president, Owain James, claimed the protest was the biggest student march for a decade.

An NUS spokeswoman said it formed a mile-long procession and passed off peacefully.

"In 2001 the first batch of students who have funded themselves entirely through student loans will graduate," Mr James said.

"The deep-seated concern they feel is directly reflected in the high numbers coming down from all over the country for the march."

Mayor's support

The march was supported by mayor of London, Ken Livingstone, who was one of the speakers.

Mr Livingstone said the abolition of grants and the introduction of fees had been a "disaster" for higher education.

The move to push the funding higher education onto students has clearly failed, he said.

The current situation is no basis for a quality higher education system

David Triesman, AUT

"I fully support the NUS demand that the government must rule out the introduction of top-up fees, abolish tuition fees and reintroduce grants."

The march was also supported by the Association of University Teachers (AUT).

The association's general secretary, David Triesman attacked the "current levels of hardship".

"Lecturers should not have to try and teach students who have just arrived off the night shift. It is bad for the students, for their teaching and above all for the future of this country.

"The current situation is no basis for a quality higher education system," he added.

Other speakers at the rally included Liberal Democrat MP Evan Harris and assistant general secretary of the union Unison, Keith Sonnet.

'Fear of debt'

The protest march came as the NUS published research which claims the number of black students applying for university has fallen by 10%.

The number of working class males applying for degree courses fell 6.85% between 1997 and 1999, the data suggests.

Such candidates were being put off by the fear of falling into debt, Owain James said.

Owain James: "Students are worried about falling into debt"

The survey also suggests that universities were now getting 4.6% less money per student from the government than four years ago, meaning their "educational experience" was of lower quality.

But Education Minister, Tessa Blackstone insisted young people from poor backgrounds did not pay fees.

"Both the social class and the ethnic mix of both applicants and entrants to full time higher education has been stable since 1997," she claimed.

Half of all students will not pay any fees from September 2001, she said.

"Far from numbers of young people going to university falling there has been between 97/98 academic year and 99/2000 an increase of 10,000 in the number of full-time students."

'Misleading'

A spokesman for the Department for Education said the data compiled by the NUS was "misleading".

"According to the Ucas figures there were 13,601 black applicants for degree courses and this rose to 14,148 in 1999," he said.

The NUS is now planning a series of one-day "shut-downs" in colleges and universities.

The measures are in protest at conditions for workers in education and cutbacks, as well as fees for students.

The first is scheduled to be held on 5 December.