An animal rights campaigner struck a policeman during a demonstration outside Hillgrove Farm, Minster Lovell, where cats are bred for medical research.

Julie Moore, 40, of Station Road, Earls Colne, Essex, denied assaulting Pc Richard Hogan on February 22. But she was found guilty at Witney Magistrates' Court and fined £100 and ordered to pay £100 costs.

David Robinson, prosecuting, said the protesters were marching along Witney's Burford Road after a demonstration outside the farm.

Mr Robinson said: "Moore started screaming and shouting at officers as she was upset another woman had been arrested.

"As Pc Hogan moved between her and another police officer she shouted in his face and struck him on the left-hand side of his face. When he arrested her she became passively unco-operative."

Pc Hogan, who suffered bruising, said between 200 and 250 protesters took part in the march. Several were arrested. Several people were arrested for offences committed earlier in the day. Pc Hogan said: "Moore pushed me back to try to get to one of the prisoners. I told her to move back but she carried on pushing and shouting.

"She lashed out and I was struck in the face just under the left eye. She was angry, red in the face, and her arms were thrashing around everywhere."

Mother-of-two Moore, who had a previous conviction for hindering a lorry driver exporting live animals, said it was the second time she had been at a demonstration at Hillgrove Farm.

She said: "The demonstration had been peaceful but then everything went manic. I wanted to observe this woman being arrested but then more police officers came in and it seemed totally over the top.

"A police officer told me to get out of the way and pushed me. I told him to stop pushing me and the next thing I knew I was lying on the floor with my hands handcuffed behind my back.

"I may have put out my arm to stop him hitting me but there is no way I would have punched him.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.