A group of student activists received a heroes' welcome when they arrived home after being trapped for more than a week in the West Bank.

The activists, eight from the University of Sussex, arrived at Heathrow Airport yesterday, 11 days after setting off on their peace mission to the West Bank.

The group had been shot at and trapped for days inside the homes of their Palestinian hosts.

Sussex members included Student Union president Dan Glazebrook, education officer Sukant Chandan and students Zaki El-Salahi, Salma Karmi, Osama Muttawa, Keren Wheeler, Louisa Maynard and Anais Lafite.

Hundreds of family members, friends and sympathisers, waving Union and Palestinian flags, gathered at the airport to welcome them home.

Jubilant supporters hoisted their friends on to their shoulders and carried them through the arrivals lounge in a triumphant procession.

There were smiles and tears of relief from the students' friends and family who had been anxiously waiting for their return.

Police used dogs to disperse the crowd and shepherd them outside where they held a short rally.

More than 300 supporters gathered outside the terminal building to listen to speeches and a statement read out on behalf of the returning group.

They described their experiences and some of the horrors they had seen and criticised the British Government for not doing more to stop the siege.

Student Salma Karmi, 21, said: "There were tanks rolling through the streets and snipers on the roofs and people were too frightened to go out.

"The Palestinians have to live like that every day."

Mr Glazebrook, 24, said: "We were helping the ambulances, trying to deliver aid, and there were shots going off all the time.

"At one point we were arrested by Israeli troops, we don't know what for.

"Almost everybody we met in Ramallah had a bullet wound and nearly everyone has had a relative killed by the army.

"A lot of them have been sent to prison for five years or so for being in a protest."

Katherine Al-Salahi was at the airport to meet her son Zaki. She said: "I've been very worried but extremely proud."

Mr Glazebrook's mother Roo said: "I have been desperately worried, hearing on the news he had been shot at or been arrested.

"But we have to think about the mothers there whose sons can be taken away or beaten up at any time and there's nothing they can do about it."