Actress 'angered' by May Day reaction

Cartaret in the thick of the protest

Juliet Bravo actress Anna Cartaret has spoken out about her treatment at the hands of the police during the May Day riots.

Cartaret was one of thousands hemmed in by police at Oxford Circus and said she was "angered" at the attitude of the authorities.

"I'm a free citizen I have a right to do a peaceful protest," she told the BBC.

Cartaret describes her ordeal at the scene of the protest

"I'm not harming anyone I don't intend to harm anyone"

The police closed in on protestors at Oxford Circus in order to contain the protest and prevent it growing.

Cartaret was held behind along with other protesters for five and a half hours.

'Justified'

She was only able to leave when a policeman recognised her from television, and though Cartaret acknowledged the sergeant's "humane feelings" she criticised the rest of the force.

She claimed that it was an entirely peaceful protest and there was no violence until the riot police closed in.

"People began to get irritable because they couldn't eat, couldn't go to the loo, they weren't told why they were being kept penned up," she said.

Cartaret says the protest began "buoyantly"

The police have argued that they were not heavy handed and their actions were justified in view of subsequent violence.

"We had independent observers who said that our officers performed excellently," said a spokesman for the Metropolitan Police.

'Intimidation'

Juliet Bravo - in which Carteret played Inspector Kate Longton - was part of the proliferation of police dramas in the 1980s.

Carteret is also a well-known theatre actress, working on may productions directed by Sir Peter Hall, including the roles of Goneril in King Lear and the title role of Major Barbara.

She is a veteran campaigner on political issues and has attended TUC demonstrations in support of asylum seekers, Greenham Common protests and the Aldermaston March.

But she said that this protest - which she said was to make people aware of the threat of Globalisation and to ask the World Bank to relieve third world debt - was unusual.

"Never have I experienced such intimidation," she said.