An author angry at police banning an animal rights demonstration in Witney is suing the Home Secretary.

Campaigning writer Vernon Coleman was due to speak at a rally organised by Save the Hillgrove Cats on July 11.

But the event was vetoed the night before when police secured a five-mile exclusion zone round the town to prevent a clash with the annual Witney Carnival at The Leys recreation ground. In the end, protesters marched instead to Oxford.

Now Dr Coleman has taken out a summons against Home Secretary Jack Straw, who sanction the ban, to cover his travelling expenses of £99.80.

He says if his legal action at Barnstaple county court in Devon is successful, other demonstrators could file similar claims.

He said: "If the ban had been announced the day before, then I and thousands of others would not have incurred unnecessary expenses travelling to the site of the demonstration.

"I am not happy at being banned from criticising the Government in public. It seemed to me a pretty heavy-handed infringement of my freedom to speak."

Mr Straw's home is at Minster Lovell, just over a mile from Hillgrove, where farmer Chris Brown breeds cats for research.

Heather James, a spokesman for the campaign, said yesterday: "We're aware of the legal claim and will be following it closely."

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