A GROUP of pro-Palestinian activists urging shoppers to boycott Israeli goods were ejected from Leytonstone Tesco yesterday after staging a mid-aisle protest.

Members of the Waltham Forest Palestine Solidarity Campaign (WFPSC) kept up their demonstration for around 10 minutes before security guards intervened.

Among the campaigners was a film crew from Israel's Channel 10 TV, who are currently filming a documentary about pro-Palestinian activism abroad.

Ellie Merton, chairwoman of the WFPSC, criticised the way Tesco's security staff handled the situation.

She said: “I was shocked at the behaviour of Tesco’s security staff towards our relaxed, cheerful and totally unthreatening action.

“We were holding up examples of produce from illegal Israeli settlements and stolen Palestinian land, chanting to urge shoppers to join the boycott campaign.

"Then out of nowhere two burly security guards pounced on the Israeli Channel 10 cameraman, seized his equipment and then attempted to confiscate all cameras being used by us and members of the public.”

The group left the store after delivering a letter of protest to the customer service desk in the supermarket.

Police were also called, but arrived after the protesters had left the building.

Campaigners across the UK are urging shoppers not to buy Israeli produce grown on Palestinian land, likening their campaign to the boycott of apartheid South Africa in the 1980s.

A spokesman for Tesco strongly denied that security staff "manhandled" protesters, and said staff had the right to eject anyone from the supermarket because it is private property.

The WFPSC added that it intends to make a formal complaint to Tesco over the way protesters were treated.