PEACE campaigners who were stopped from attending an anti-war demonstration by police took their case to the High Court yesterday claiming a breach of human rights.

Up to 150 passengers, including many from Haringey, were travelling on three coaches to attend a mass protest outside a United States airbase in Fairford, Gloucestershire, three days after war was declared on Iraq.

But they were stopped by police six miles from their destination, stripped of protest equipment and their coach was escorted back to London on the motorway.

The protestors claim the police refused to allow the coach to stop for a comfort break and one woman said she was forced to urinate in a sandwich box in front of police with video cameras.

Meanwhile, other passengers dialled 999 to report being kidnapped.

Up to 60 passengers, who have formed the Fairford Coach Action Group, were expected to be at the High Court for the two-day hearing.

Passenger Jane Laporte, of Tottenham, said: "It is vitally important that people can protest freely, especially about a war which we believe was pursued without legal or moral justification."

The protest outside RAF Fairford was organised by the Gloucestershire Weapons Inspectors (GWI) and attracted more than 3,000 protesters.

The base was used by American B-52 planes to bomb Baghdad.