Human shield Uzma Bashir, who is in the heart of the bombing in Baghdad, said she is "honoured" to be living among Iraqi people.

She said the Iraqis she had met did not want to be liberated by America and claimed news reports in Britain were biased.

Uzma, who runs the Little Monsters nursery in Bradford and appeared on the reality TV programme Survivor, said: "There is heavy bombing but surprisingly the communication sites haven't been hit and I have been able to speak with my family."

Uzma, 32, is staying in a hotel with about 200 human shields and has been in the Iraqi capital since before the war started. The businesswoman and lecturer, who decided to become a human shield after taking part in a peace rally, said the Iraqi people she had met were defiant against the allies.

Speaking to the Telegraph & Argus from Baghdad, she said: "I have spoken to hundreds of Iraqis and not one has said they want the Americans here. There have been press reports about people living in fear, with secret police operating to quash any opposition, but we haven't seen any evidence of that. We have found Iraq to be a nation of highly educated, generous, determined people."

Despite the bombing, some shops were opening. And she said the number of human shields was growing every day.