sit-in at the luxury London grocers Fortnum & Mason.

At 3pm on Saturday, Adam made a spur-of-the-moment decision to join the sit-in at the luxury London grocers Fortnum & Mason. His sole "direct action" during the three-hour protest was to move a shop display under a table to ensure it was not trampled. Yesterday, though, the 25-year-old teacher from west London found himself facing a criminal charge and fearing for his career.

He was one of 138 people at the demonstration who have been charged with aggravated trespass after being arrested by riot police outside the store on Piccadilly, and spending up to 24 hours in cells at police stations around the capital.

Up to 500 demonstrators occupied Fortnum's delicacy-stocked aisles on Saturday afternoon as part of a unpublicised protest by UK Uncut over claims that Associated British Foods (ABF), which is 54 per cent-owned by the food emporium's owner, Whittington Investments, has avoided £40m of tax. ABF denies any tax avoidance, saying it complies fully with the law.