WIELDING baseball bats, knives and pickaxe handles, five violent, deranged people went on the rampage and held four CID officers hostage in Theatre Square flats, Wroughton, yesterday.

Around 200 police officers, four commanders, a pack of Alsatians and a four-strong cavalry division attended the scene which culminated with my arrest.

But all this disarray was in aid of a police Public Order Training day.

The event was the first time that staff from the five forces in the South West have met for a co-ordinated training exercise.

Officers from Wiltshire, Gloucestershire, Somerset and Avon, Dorset and Devon and Cornwall descended on the old RAF Hospital site in Wroughton to test a range of skills from riot control to public relations.

Sergeant Ken Godfrey, police spokesman, said: "The aim of the exercise is to train for crises we hope will never happen."

I share such hopes, given that I was arrested twice during the four incidents.

The simulated scenes of unrest included an unruly protest in Petrol Bomb Alley, a rave incident outside the Town Hall and several violent hostage-takers in Theatre Square flats.

Sgt Godfrey said: "The officers are kept in the dark to make it as realistic as possible. They need to be prepared to cope with whatever the disturbance throws at them."

And as hordes of abusive protesters marched down Petrol Bomb Alley, wooden blocks, bottles and petrol bombs were hurled at officers.

Armed with Perspex shields and visored helmets, a troop of officers entered the fray and tried to diffuse the disturbance.

A safety officer explained the various formations used to protect units from missiles and assaults with bats.

The 'overhead protective' is used in police charges to storm buildings. When officers line up in sixes, it is known as a 'cordon', while standing in double file is called a 'stack'.

Hannah Paul is a Police Support Unit instructor who specialises in petrol bombing exercises.

She said: "The day promotes integration between the forces. Being able to work as a team is crucial, especially when dealing with a major incident.

"Different regions have different specialist units which need to mix to get the job done effectively," she added.

My first claim to crime came during a barrage of assaults from attackers pelting police with wooden blocks from the balcony of Theatre Square flats.

Responding to my request for an interview, one of the offending party cried out: "Yes, I want to speak to the press. It's my right. Let me talk to the girl."

So I tried to penetrate the wall of police officers and enter the flats. "It's public property. I'm not trespassing so please let me pass," I protested, in the name of human rights.

Undeterred by polite police warnings to "keep back", I kept pressing to meet the distressed objectors.

Within seconds I was arrested and faced one of the most popular lines heard on the television programme, The Bill: "You do not have to say anything. But anything you do say may be used as evidence."

So there I was being dragged kicking and squealing away from the scene, away from my story.

On asking what I had done wrong, a police officer said: "You are obstructing police and posing a risk to health and safety."

Keenness to get a story is also a potentially criminal offence as I learnt on my second arrest.

"You can't stop me breaking the news," I insisted. But they could block the doors, despite my efforts to squeeze between them.

Yet perseverance pays: I managed to scoop an on-scene interview with Commander Jim McCarthy.

He said: "CID officers attended the flats with search warrants and have since been taken hostage. At the moment we don't know how many officers are trapped inside. That's all I know."

The exercises also help officers learn how to control a protest without infringing on demonstrators' rights.

Sgt Godfrey said: "It is important to strike a balance between freedom of expression and maintaining law and order. The day is a great way of putting these skills into practice."

But judging from my experience, it is debatable whether reporters are classified as humans and entitled to the same freedoms.

Having polished up their press control skills, a group of officers were kind enough to donate me a doggy bag for lunch.

Sgt Godfrey said: "The day has shown we are training for the right reasons to achieve the right results."

Officially still under arrest, I almost took offence at the comment.

But after earnest persuasions he released me on bail back to the office. Freedom!