A GROUP of students from Southampton will be heading to Downing Street today to urge the British government to protect democracy in Hong Kong.

Students from the University of Southampton will be joined by other students from across the country delivering a petition to number 10 echoing recent protests in the a former British colony.

For the last month thousands of angry students took to the streets of Hong Kong demanding the right to choose their own nominations for the city's chief executive in the 2017 leadership elections.

In August China's top legislative committee in Beijing ruled that voters will only have a choice from a list of two or three candidates selected by a nominating committee.

One of the organisers, Alexander Tam, from Portswood, said they are urging the British government to take action, such as prevent the sale of tear gas made by a Hampshire firm to Hong Kong police.

The 21-year old biomedical sciences student said: “These elections will have a major impact on the British economy. Hong Kong is a financial centre, there's a number of British companies and industries in Hong Kong.

“If personal freedoms in Hong Kong are diminishing, it will have a huge impact on the British economy.”

Alexander also spoke about a signed declaration between the British and Chinese governments before Britain handed back the colony to China protecting democracy in Hong Kong.

He said: “The Chinese government has been abusing this treaty from day one.”

As previously reported in the Daily Echo, tear gas used on protestors in Hong Kong was supplied by Whiteley firm Chemring PLC.

It sold CS gas to the former British colony for several years under export licences approved by the British government.

The protests were largely peaceful but intensified after police responded to the demonstrations with tear gas.

Some people also believe that the protests ruin the city's reputation and damage its relationship with Beijing.

The students heading to Downing Street will be joined by Conservative MP for Romsey and Southampton North, Caroline Nokes.