A Bridgwater Labour councillor fears thousands of young people will miss out on university education after MPs voted to increase tuition fees.

Kathy Pearce, leader of the Sedgemoor Labour group, said Thursday was a “sad, sad day” after MPs agreed to set an upper limit for yearly university tuition fees of £9,000, a move which sparked violent scenes between protestors and police in central London.

The changes will also see universities help poorer students if they charge more than £6,000 per year.

Cllr Pearce said: “The bottom line is that increasing tuition fees by that amount will deter thousands upon thousands of young people from accessing a university education.

“The aim of university study is that all those who are capable and able to go on to university will then come back with skills to benefit the area.”

Cllr Pearce said she did not condone the violent scenes following the announcement but could understand why people were angry.

Conservative Bridgwater MP Ian Liddell-Grainger, who voted for the changes, said: “We have to cut costs in this country. We have already made some cuts but we still have got to do more in certain areas, and education is one of them.

“Education up to the ages of 17 and 18 is free, and will continue to be so.”

Bridgwater College said it anticipated more students would want to study locally to save on the expense of living away from home.

A college spokeswoman said: “We will, however, be attempting to keep our fees below the £6,000 threshold for full-time students where it is within our power to do so.”