Sacha Baron Cohen chased by rock-wielding gang

Sacha Baron Cohen ran for his life when he was chased by a rock-wielding gang of "Hasidic nutcases".

'The Dictator' star angered a group of Hasidic Jews by wearing a camp version of their traditional costume in Jerusalem and he feared for his life as he was being chased by the mob before hiding in a bathroom store.

He said: "A bunch of Hasidic Jews ran after me with rocks and I ended up hiding in a bathroom store.

"Normally in dangerous situations I have a getaway car. But as I ran towards the getaway car it drove away.

"So I found myself running down the street, running for my life, and being chased by these Hasidic nutcases.

"I turned round to calm them down, and I shouted in Hebrew 'I am Jewish', which apparently is the worst thing ever you can tell Hasidic Jews.

"It was then they decided that they wanted to really kill me."

Sacha admits he has come "close" to being murdered or seriously hurt while shooting his previous two movies, mockumentaries 'Borat' - which featured him as a controversial Kazak journalist and sparked anger among the Kazakhstan community - and 'Bruno', where he played a homosexual Austrian fashion designer.

He is quoted by the Daily Mirror newspaper as saying: "In those last two movies there were lots of people with guns who got angry and it became a little hairy at times.

"I never felt I'd get killed, but it has been close."

Sacha's latest movie 'The Dictator', which sees him star as fictional leader General Aladeen, has also sparked controversy among the Arab community.

Nadia Tonova, director of the National Network for Arab American Communities, said his latest role "perpetuates a negative stereotype against Arabs".