Angry crowd at TV Anne's hunt quiz (From Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard)

Angry crowd at TV Anne's hunt quiz

TV personality Anne Robinson was met by an angry crowd of animal rights protesters when she arrived in Cirencester to host a version of her Weakest Link show in aid of hunting.

Demonstrators, some of whom wore Anne Robinson masks, chanted 'Weakest Link, cruellest link' and blew hunting horns as the quiz show presenter arrived under police escort at the Bingham Hall on Saturday night.

Shielding her face from the crowd, the 57-year-old fox hunt enthusiast dashed into a side door as more than 100 protesters hurled abuse and an object, believed to be an egg, was thrown at her Mercedes.

Campaigners had waited for three-and-a-half hours for the former Watchdog presenter to arrive at the quiz, dubbed the Strongest Link, which was held to raise funds for the Vale of the White Horse hunt, which rides in Wiltshire and Gloucestershire.

Earlier, hunt supporters carrying wicker food baskets and clutching bottles of wine had to battle their way through a tide of demonstrators to get to the hall.

Wearing T-shirts with: "Anne, you are the cruellest link, goodbye," written on them, campaigners screamed 'scum' and there were angry confrontations.

They also blew whistles and waved placards depicting a fox with the words 'Ginger cool' above a picture of Ms Robinson and the slogan 'Ginger fool'.

One man shouted: 'So you want a fight do you,' as a protester swore into his face. Lady Apsley, of Cirencester Park, who was taking part in the quiz, said she was spat at and hit on the back of the head.

Charles Mann, a VWH joint-master, said children had been scared by the protest. He also claimed two women were kicked and two vehicles had tyres let down.

As people began to arrive by car at 7pm, protesters sat in the road. They were eventually moved by four policemen, who closed the street to traffic at the Victoria Road - King Street junction.

The officers struggled to clear a path so people could enter the building, which had two bouncers on the door.

Reinforcements were drafted in later to prepare for Ms Robinson's arrival, and officers formed a chain to prevent protesters from getting near her.

Many demonstrators said they were buoyed up by last week's decision to ban hunting in Scotland. One man was yelling: "I love the smell of Scotland in the morning, it smells of victory." At one stage hunt supporters and protesters argued their case through a locked gate at one side of the building.

Malcolm Clark, of the League Against Cruel Sports, which organised the protest, said: "We made them feel very uncomfortable. "It was a loud protest, but I didn't see any trouble or anyone being violent. We always campaign peacefully."

Protester Paul Richardson, of Cirencester Animal Rights, said: "I think it is wrong for a high profile person like Anne Robinson to use a television programme to promote cruelty to animals."

But Mr Mann commented: "If Paul McCartney happily supports animal rights action I don't see there's anything wrong with Anne Robinson supporting hunting."

The quiz was organised by Ms Robinson's neighbour, Alex Mason, who said the protest had not ruined the event. "It was unpleasant," he said, "but it had no effect on the evening whatsoever and we all had a smashing time. One or two older people were a bit shaken-up, and we had quite a job getting one man in a wheelchair into the building."

It attracted around 450 hunt supporters.

The quiz was modelled on Ms Robinson's hit BBC show and eight contestants took part. The winner was Mr Mann's wife, Chipps, who donated the £500 cheque to the New Day Centre for disabled youngsters in Cirencester.

Profits from the quiz will go to the hunt, which lost funds because of foot and mouth. A Gloucestershire police spokesman said: "Generally, the protesters were well behaved. No complaints were received, no one was reported for any offences and no arrests were made."

Picture: Angry scenes outside the Bingham Hall