Third year university students staged a protest against unpaid internships in the hopes of bringing change to the education system.

Campaigners studying at Middlesex University, in The Burroughs, Hendon, are part of the ‘Take Back The City’ campaign which aims to lower tuition fees for UK students.

The group hope to raise awareness about internships as, as they believe the internships lack any real benefits for their candidates.

Organiser Agi Njie said he cannot rely on his parents for financial help and he is struggling.

He said: “It's a real struggle just funding my travel to university and my food while I'm there, let alone finding enough money to enjoy myself.

“Education should be a service like healthcare that the whole of society pays into, and people from whatever background can benefit from. We hope our actions this week will inspire other young people to get active in standing up for this principle.”

Figures from the Sutton Trust estimate 22,000 unpaid internships are offered in the UK with 31per cent of them being graduate placements.

Iaytan McDonald, of campaign group Pay The Intern said: “With us graduating this summer and all looking to take up internships, we began to realise just how important it is for us to be paid for the work we do.

“Many students do not have external support from parent and will rely on the internship for income. How are they supposed to live in London, one of the most expensive cities unpaid? We believe interns should be entitled to the national living wage.”

Students previously organised a number of theatrical demonstrations over the high cost and inaccessibility of higher education. The actions are in collaboration with campaign group Take Back the City.

The students hope their action will help to revitalise the student movement against government cuts in funding and increases in tuition fees.