Ewan McGregor felt ashamed of his fellow Brits when the U.K. was blighted by rioting last summer (11), insisting the unrest was fuelled by thieves.
The Trainspotting star was filming in London when the capital was struck by looters stealing from stores during four days of rioting in August (11).
He's adamant the shocking outbreak of violence was a symptom of growing anger in his native country, but he was left frustrated at the message mass looting sent out to the world.
MCGregor tells Live magazine, "It was like mob culture. People were doing despicable things. They were angry but about what? All they achieved was to make everybody get even more conservative and tighten up...
"What happened in London made me feel embarrassed. It showed that there's unrest and dissatisfaction and that should be addressed. But people breaking windows in (sportswear store) Foot Locker and trying on shoes before they steal them isn't saying anything other than, 'I'm a thief and I don't want to pay for my stuff.'"