Protester 'throttled in Commons'

Mr Ferry said he had "never had a fight" in his life

A pro-hunting campaigner was throttled by a House of Commons doorman as he stormed the chamber, a court has heard.

Otis Ferry, 22-year-old son of musician Bryan, told Bow Street Magistrates' how the doorman "pounced" on him as he tried to talk to a government minister.

He said another doormen held him down with a knee in his back and accused them of being "unnecessarily forceful".

A total of eight demonstrators deny causing "harassment, alarm or distress" in the Commons on 15 September 2004.

The charges relate to a protest in the chamber as MPs debated the hunting bill.

Mr Ferry said he was talking to rural affairs minister Alun Michael when the doormen intervened.

I thought trying to get into the House of Commons would be like trying to get out of Colditz Luke Tomlinson

"I continued to talk and raise my voice then one of the doormen pounced on me and started throttling me in an attempt to silence me. I could not breathe," he said.

Mr Ferry, from Eaton Mascot, Shrewsbury, told the court it had been easy to breach Commons security.

He said one doorkeeper looked "like he was asleep" and they were all "very sedate" and "slow to move".

Angry people

Fellow protester Luke Tomlinson, 28, of Tetbury, Gloucs, told the court he had intended to protest peacefully.

Mr Tomlinson is a polo player for England's national side

He said: "The plan was to sit down in a circle and to join arms and... try to talk to a government minister and say 'look, please listen to the countryside, there are a lot of angry people'."

Mr Tomlinson, a close friend of princes William and Harry, has been excused from attending court on Wednesday as he is due to play polo for England.

He added: "Realistically I thought trying to get into the House of Commons would be like trying to get out of Colditz."

Giving evidence, protesters David Redvers, 34, a horse breeder, from Hartpury, Gloucs, and Richard Wakeham also said they never believed the plan would work.

'Harebrained'

Mr Wakeham, 34, a surveyor from York, described the scheme as "harebrained", saying he was "amazed" when they gained entry to the House.

Mr Wakeham said he thought the plan was "worth a shot"

While Robert Thame, 34, of Maidenhead, Berkshire, who plays polo with Prince Charles in Team Highgrove, said his only intention was to stop the fox hunting debate.

The eight dressed up in boiler suits and posed as builders to gain entry to the house, before discarding the suits to reveal foxhunting protest t-shirts.

Five of them entered the chamber, while three others were intercepted trying to get through the doors.

The incident took place as up to 15,000 pro-hunting campaigners demonstrated outside Parliament.

The three other protesters on trial are: John Holliday, 37, a huntsman from Ledbury; former royal chef Nicholas Wood, 41, from Lacock, Wiltshire; and auctioneer Andrew Elliot, 42, from Bromesberrow, near Ledbury, Herefordshire.

All eight claim they were only involved with the protest on the understanding that it would be peaceful.