Metric protester 'stole road signs'

Tony Bennett pictured before his court appearance

An anti-metric activist has appeared in court charged with stealing road signs from a Kent road that gave distances in metres rather than yards.

Tony Bennett, the UK Independence Party (UKIP) candidate for Harlow in Essex, is accused of taking a number of signs from roads in Kent and damaging another.

Maidstone Magistrates Court heard the father-of-two took the signs in July last year.

The road signs - which were there to warn of roadworks - actually broke regulations themselves.

Going missing

The signs belonged to McAlpine PPF Joint Venture. The company was installing a pipeline from Hadlow near Tonbridge to High Halden near Tenterden for Transco Gas Company.

Andrea Scott Lynch, prosecuting, told the court McAlpine put up a number of signs showing the distance in metres.

They noticed some were going missing and some were defaced.

Alistair Paterson, agricultural liaison officer for McAlpine PPS Join Venture, told the court that the workers estimated there were 50 signs taken and others defaced.

"To make the signs and replace them cost about £40 each. We had a letter from the UKIP signed by Mr Bennett to say he had taken these signs," he said.

Defence claim

For the defence, Michael Shrimpton said the case should not have been brought. He pointed out that Mr Bennett, who denies a charge of theft, had offered to return them to Transco.

He said: "What should have happened was an apology from Transco and that should have been the end of the matter."

He also said that Mr Bennett had acted after the police, Kent County Council and the Department for Local Government, Transport and the Regions had not had them removed despite them breaking regulations.

The case was adjourned until 1 May.