TWO teenagers were arrested during a day of action against education cuts in Colchester town centre. College students blocked traffic in Colchester High Street and North Hill as they protested about government cuts.

At its peak about 500 to 600 students waving placards were in the town’s high street, bringing traffic to a standstill.

The protest started at 11.30am outside Colchester Sixth Form College in North Hill.

Pupils at Colchester Royal Grammar School and Philip Morant School also walked out of lessons to join the march.

The crowd passed peacefully along High Street to Castle Park but once in the park, groups of demonstrators broke off and returned to the High Street to stage a sit-down protest outside the town hall. They remained there for about an hour until they were forced down West Stockwell Street by police on foot and horseback and back to North Hill where they eventually dispersed about 3pm.

Two people were arrested for public order offences during the operation.

One of them was a 17-year-old boy, from Colchester, who was arrested after he allegedly threw coins and swore at police officers. He was given a reprimand by police and was then released.