Chequered past of tax campaigner

Andrew Spence, a farmer from Co Durham, demanded drivers flock to refineries on Wednesday. In the event, only a few dozen people turned up.

In the days after the fuel-tax protests of September 2000, when he was arrested outside a refinery in Jarrow, Mr Spence was feted as a hero in the North-east.

But 10 years ago, he had a haulage business with a £1m turnover and 18 workers. It was wrecked by BSE and he was made bankrupt. He set up another truck business but that too ran into problems.

The 38-year-old father portrays himself as a reluctant agitator. He told a journalist in November 2000: "All I want to do is sit on my farm. I'm a working lad, I have no political aspirations."

Yet the following June he was standing against Tony Blair in Sedgefield at the general election for the UK Independence Party, collecting 974 votes. He failed to stand for UKIP at the Hartlepool by-election last year.

During the foot-and-mouth crisis in 2001, he threatened a "rural revolt" against the Government. In 2002, he announced plans to tour pubs and agricultural shows with a mechanical rodeo bull. A year later, the Northern Echo reported that he was quitting Britain for France "where things are cheaper". This spring,he reported that 12 of his lambs had been killed in horrific circumstances, possibly by the "Durham Puma".

And he still says Wednesday's protests were "a massive victory".