National treasure Dora Bryan has been arrested for jumping a red light.

The 83-year-old Bafta-winning actress, of Marine Parade, Brighton, was returning home from the London premier of her latest film, Gone to the Dogs, last Monday when she had her collar felt.

She had driven her new Suzuki Wagon R home through a red light in Grand Parade, Brighton, at 11.45pm and was pulled over by the police.

She refused to provide a breath sample and was taken to the Sussex Police custody centre in Hollingbury, Brighton, where she later provided a sample, which proved she was sober and was released without charge.

Unrepentant Miss Bryan said: "I was driving home and there wasn't a soul around so I went through the light. When I was pulled over I couldn't work out how the door worked so they brought me in.

"They just completely wasted their time and three hours of my time. It was such a wonderful day, taking my grandson to the premier but this was a terrible end.

"Afterwards I had to go home, run a hot bath and go to bed."

A regular in Forties and Fifties cinema Miss Bryan was known for her nasal voice and scene-stealing comic timing.

Her speciality was spiteful hussies and tarts of every hue, starting with Rosie in The Fallen Idol.

Her other films included The Cure for Love and Time Gentlemen Please and she was cast as the headmistress in The Great St Trinian's Train Robbery in 1966.

She was awarded a Bafta for her portrayal of the sluttish Helen in A Taste of Honey and then moved on to perform largely on stage and television.

More recently she had roles in the hit television series Absolutely Fabulous, Catterick and Dinnerladies.

Ian Fitzgerald, executive producer of Gone to the Dogs, said: "We shot the film back in May. She was absolutely fantastic and a true professional.

"She got very, very good reviews for her performance.

"She's got a long career behind her but she's known to be quite a character. I enjoyed working with her hugely."

The film, set in Hastings, is already set to become a worldwide hit. It looks at what would happen if husbands who died were reincarnated as their widows' dogs.

Miss Bryan, born Dora Broadbent in Southport, plays one of the widows and actor Tony Booth plays her husband, her late husband and her dog.

It has been released on DVD and the producers hope to have it screened in Brighton. For more details see www.gone2thedogs.com.

Miss Bryan is holding a coffee morning to raise money for animals in rescue centres and dogs belonging to homeless people in Brighton and Hove, at Flat 10, 118 Marine Parade, Brighton, from 10.30am until 5pm on Saturday.

Admission costs £1.