PROTESTERS gatecrashed a black-tie dinner in Oxford attended by the former head of Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs.

Dave Hartnett retired as Permanent Secretary for Tax at HMRC earlier this year and was attending a tax planning conference held at New College.

The ‘WeAreTheIntruders’ group, were protesting against corporate tax avoidance and included Green Party city councillor Sam Hollick, who represents Holywell.

They burst into the college’s Great Hall while Mr Hartnett was making an after-dinner speech during the £854 plus VAT evening.

Before being ejected from the hall, they handed Mr Hartnett a bouquet and a spoof “golden handshake” award.

Mr Hollick said: “We went into the hall and asked the audience to give him a round of applause. They seemed to think it was a nice, friendly presentation of an award.

“A senior tax solicitor called us scum, which was a little bit aggressive.”

New College hosted the three-day conference called Practical Tax Planning 2012 last month.