Graham's gig sabotaged

Graham Norton's came face-to-face with a bogus terrorist during his performance at a charity gig last night.

The hook-handed intruder invaded the stage of Her Majesty's Theatre in a ballgown, and claimed to be from the "comedy police".

It took more than a minute for security guards to drag the interloper away, as the1,000- strong audience at the Great Ormond Street Children's Hosptial fundraiser watched in bewilderment.

Norton was said to be "flustered" by the incident, which came as he was bringing the London Comedy Festival to an end.

He later told reporters: "As soon as I knew the guy's hook was plastic I knew I was all right."

A festival spokesman said: "I don't know whether he was some sort of madman."

But the interloper, who goes by the name of The Comedy Terrorist, is becoming a regular agitator at high-profile gigs.

His most notorious stunt to date was invading the stage of the star-studded tribute to Spike Milligan at London's Guildhall last year, interrupting Terry Jones mid-sketch.

Among other stunts, he has also attempted to sabotage a speech by London Mayor Ken Livingstone, and been banned from every football ground in the country for running onto the pitch.

Published: 26 May 2003