In a clear echo of the Iraqi journalist who threw his footwear at then US president George W. Bush in Baghdad in December, the Western-looking man shouted "This is a scandal" as he interrupted Wen from the back of the auditorium.

"This dictator here, how can you listen to the lies he's telling? You are not challenging him," he said before blowing a whistle and hurling the sports trainer at Wen, who had been discussing China's role in the globalised world.

The shoe landed about a yard from the Chinese premier, who glanced sharply to one side to watch it hit the stage, but did not appear frightened. A security man moved across and kicked the shoe off the stage.

As the protester was bundled out, he shouted to audience members: "Stand up and protest," to which some of the spectators -- most of whom appeared to be Chinese students -- retorted: "Shame on you, shame on you."

After the interruption, Wen reproached the demonstrator.

"This despicable behaviour cannot stand in the way of friendship between China and the UK," he said, receiving a round of applause from the audience.

The incident -- following the protest by Iraqi journalist Muntazer al-Zaidi, who gained global fame by throwing his footwear at Bush on December 14 -- came after Wen gave a largely anodyne speech in Cambridge, southeastern England.

Security had been tight for entry to the concert hall where the speech took place in front of about 500 people. Outside some 200 demonstrators, apparently mostly pro-Chinese, were kept at bay in two pens on the pavement.

Before the event began supporters waved red Chinese flags, while some banged drums and there was a colourful paper dragon -- although one banner from a protester said: "Remember Tiananmen."

Earlier in the day Wen had held talks with British Prime Minister Gordon Brown in London where he promised to join urgent and coordinated action to avert a global economic disaster.

Wen's first trip to Britain since 2006 marks the end of a high-profile visit to Europe that has taken him to Germany, Spain, the EU headquarters in Brussels and the World Economic Forum at Davos, Switzerland.

But the European tour has been clouded by pro-Tibetan protests which regularly target trips by Chinese leaders.

China is particularly sensitive about Tibet questions ahead of the 50th anniversary of the March 1959 uprising that led to the escape of Tibet's spiritual leader the Dalai Lama into exile.

In London, some 50 pro-Tibetan and 100 pro-Chinese demonstrators gathered outside Brown's Downing Street office for rival protests to coincide with Wen's talks with the prime minister. Five pro-Tibetan protesters were arrested Sunday.

In Cambridge, police said the man -- who appeared to have a non-English, European accent -- had surrendered peacefully after the protest.

"He didn't resist at all. We ushered him out and he went peacefully," said one of the constables, or university police, who escorted the young man out of the hall.

A proctor -- an official responsible for university discipline -- added: "When he stood up and started making his protest, the proctors asked him to stop shouting and sit down.

"He continued, took off a shoe and then threw it towards the stage. The constables got to him and took him out. The shouting was legitimate protest but throwing a shoe is something different," the proctor told AFP.

A spokesman for Cambridgeshire Police said the man was arrested on suspicion of committing a public order offence, but gave no further details.

A University of Cambridge spokesman said: "The incident was extremely regrettable, but didn't spoil the event. Our university is a place for debate, discussion and considered argument, not for shoe throwing."

earlier related report
British PM presses China's Wen on Tibet, diplomatically
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said Monday he pressed Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao over human rights and Tibet, in talks between the two in London.

In comments after the talks, Brown praised Wen on some rights issues, but said Britain broached more sensitive questions as part of an annual Britain-China human rights dialogue.

"Premier Wen has overseen improvements in social and economic rights in China which have lifted hundreds of millions of people out of poverty over the last three decades," Brown told a joint press conference.

"But the UK will continue through our regular dialogue to seek rapid progress towards all international human rights standards, and I urged further dialogue on the Chinese government to resolve the underlying issues in Tibet."

As the pair met, around 50 pro-Tibetan and some 100 pro-Chinese demonstrators gathered outside Brown's Downing Street office for rival protests, watched by a heavy police presence.

Five people were arrested after demonstrations Sunday.

As well as boosting trade ties, Wen's trip also aims to mend relations strained over the Dalai Lama, Tibet's exiled spiritual leader who Beijing accuses of trying to seek independence from Chinese rule.

Brown has stressed the importance of Britain's relationship with China, although human rights activists have warned against getting too close.

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