Student Alfie Meadows cleared of violent disorder at London Uni demo

A student who suffered a brain injury at a university fees demonstration has been cleared of violent disorder.

Alfie Meadows was accused of causing disruption during the 9 December 2010 protest in central London against plans to treble tuition fees.

A jury returned a unanimous not guilty verdict at a retrial at London's Woolwich Crown Court.

Mr Meadows, 22, of Brixton, south London, was among more than 10,000 people taking part in the protest.

It coincided with a vote on the proposed tuition fees increase in Parliament.

Zak King, 22, of Street, Somerset, was also found not guilty of violent disorder.

It was the second retrial to be held after jurors failed to reach a verdict at Kingston Crown Court in April.

Mr Meadows' mother, Susan Matthews, said the "struggle for justice" had finally begun.

She said: "The whole family has been through two years of total agony. We have been silenced on what happened to our son.

"We can now move on to the really important thing, which is to get justice for Alfie."

Mr Meadows, a Middlesex University philosophy student, had emergency brain surgery after he was allegedly hit with a police baton during the demonstration.