Government Minister Alun Michael described in court yesterday how "shocked and angry" he felt as Parliament was invaded by pro-hunting protesters.

Mr Michael, who was Rural Affairs Minister at the time, said there had been fears of a terrorist attack following previous incidents in the House of Commons.

There were rowdy scenes as Mr Michael arrived at Bow Street Magistrates' Court in London to give evidence in the trial of eight protesters including Otis Ferry, (22), the son of rock star Bryan Ferry and master of the South Shropshire Hunt.

Mr Michael was surrounded by uniformed police officers on his way in as several dozen demonstrators chanted: "Liar, liar." One man in a fox costume attempted to get to Mr Michael and was jumped on by eight police officers who arrested and handcuffed him.

Later, as Mr Michael gave evidence, he was briefly drowned out by the sound of hunting horns outside the court building.

Mr Michael, who is now a Minister at the Department of Trade and Industry, told the court: "I think it is fair to say there had been a number of incidents in the House prior to this, the throwing of purple powder, which had raised concerns and there had been fears over the possibility of a terrorist attack.

"The first response was one of shock that people who were nothing to do with the process of the House could be there in the first place and then some anger that the process of the House was being disrupted.

"It wasn't clear who they were or what they intended."

Mr Michael said one of the protesters had got to within a couple of feet of him and "lunged" towards him.

He said the man made a comment to him about hunting and pensions and said: "It's all gone wrong."

When the protesters ran into the chamber, MPs were debating the fox hunting Bill and thousands of pro-hunting campaigners were demonstrating outside Parliament.

Labour MP Kate Hoey told the court: "It was obvious this was something to do with hunting, within a second of seeing these people I knew it was. I certainly saw nothing that could in any way be described as threatening physical behaviour. In my view it was a very peaceful protest." She said she had seen one of the protestors being dragged out of the chamber and, "pretty well choked" by parliamentary doorkeepers."

The MP said at that stage she stood up and said: "They're going out, just let them go, let them go".

Miss Hoey, who voted against a ban on hunting, said: "I couldn't have been closer, there was no MP nearer to it than myself.

"It was what I would call a peaceful, passive protest rather like the sit-downs that have happened in many places over the years.

"MPs are rather precious. Some MPs clearly do feel very strongly about Parliament and the rights of Parliament to police itself, and therefore some members felt it was an affront to our democracy but one has to accept that perhaps people didn't feel they had been listened to."

Former Conservative MP Archie Norman, who was also in the chamber at the time, said there was no violence involved.

Prosecutors allege that Ferry was the "prime organiser" of the raid on the Commons on September 15, last year. They are all charged under the Public Order Act and it is alleged that their "disorderly behaviour" caused " harassment, alarm or distress". They all deny the charge.

In the dock with Ferry are horse breeder David Redvers, (34), surveyor Richard Wakeham, (36), chef Nicholas Wood, (41), huntsman John Holliday, ( 42), polo player Robert Thame, (36) and auctioneer Andrew Elliott, (43).

Luke Tomlinson, (28), a close friend of princes William and Harry is also on trial but was excused from attending yesterday so that he could play polo.

All eight men deny the charges.

The trial continues.