Protest and a tube strike threaten final exams

Thousands of students sitting finals will have to contend with chaos when they try to reach their exam rooms in London next week.

The capital's universities are set for disruptions due to May Day demonstrations and a tube strike.

May 1 could see rioting, as anti-capitalist protesters stage a giant game of Monopoly in the City. Tube trains will stop running on Wednesday evening and remain at a standstill through Thursday.

University College London has 82 finals exams scheduled for Thursday, May 3, affecting 4,000 students. "We are going on as planned," a spokeswoman said. The alternative was to reschedule the exams for the end of June, which was unfair to the students, she added.

Laura Emson, a UCL students' union officer, said: "It is bad enough trying to commute in general without there being a tube strike."

The LSE said 60 of its students were affected as several masters-degree exams and one under-graduate paper was set for May 1, A City University spokeswoman said: "There are exams booked for May 1 and May 3. Any difficulties for students will be dealt with on an ad hoc basis, for example by allowing extra time or rescheduling " London Guildhall University said May Day demonstrations could affect teaching, with staff unable to reach lectures.