Man vows to fight garden gnome arrest threat

 

Last updated at 15:33pm on 9th September 2006 Reader comments (19)

The offending police garden gnome

 

 

 

A man vowed to keep a glowing garden gnome on display today in defiance of a police notice. Gordon MacKillop even faces possible prosecution over the offending ornament.

He was woken in the night by two police officers who warned him that the solar-powered gnome, dressed in full police uniform, was offensive to his neighbours.

They served him with a notice under the Protection From Harassment Act 1997 for "placing a garden gnome with intent to cause harassment to Mr John McLean".

The notice, issued on August 30, also accuses Mr MacKillop of intimidating potential buyers of former policeman Mr McLean's £209,000 cottage in Treovis, near Liskeard, Cornwall. It warns the 46-year-old that he could be arrested and prosecuted.

"When you hear a knock at the door at quarter to midnight you don't expect to be served with that," said Mr MacKillop, a marine surveyor at Devonport Dockyard.

"I was absolutely fuming. I thought there had been an accident in the family."

The gnome saga is the latest in a long-standing dispute between the two neighbours over access to land.

Mr MacKillop denied having harassed house-hunters viewing his neighbour's property. A Devon and Cornwall Police spokeswoman said today: "This isn't just a petty issue. This has been ongoing for two or three years."

Mr McLean has told officers that the garden gnome, who comes complete with police dog and solar light and costs £13.99, was in an "annoying position".

But, Mr MacKillop said he had bought the offending object at a supermarket in a bid to deter criminals after his motorcycle was stolen from his drive.

"I happened to be walking through a local superstore. It was the only type of solar-powered gnome and it just happened that it had a police uniform on," added Mr MacKillop.

"I'm not having the police telling me what type of garden gnome I can have in my garden. It's all very stupid but the sinister side is that it says on the form should this type of behaviour reoccur I will be liable for arrest and prosecution.

"The gnome is still out there in the same place and I suppose the police could return at any time and arrest him or me. This is a standard gnome I bought from a retail store. If they are considered to be harassing they should be withdrawn from sale."

Mr McLean was unavailable for comment.

whats everyone got against gnomes???? :cry:

Unemployment, crime, NHS, terrorism......fook all that, lets get that gnome problem sorted first. :dozey:

Unemployment' date=' crime, NHS, terrorism......fook all that, lets get that gnome problem sorted first. :dozey:[/quote']

 

What about the National "Elf" Service??:rolleyes: