Police were called after a resident staged a one-man protest outside his house over the erection of a lamppost this afternoon.

Gary Buck, of Canterbury, spent about five hours on the pavement in Pilgrims Way as he prevented Kent County Council contractors from fitting underground electrics.

His protest attracted police attention and the 65-year-old - who called one of the engineers a "clown" - was spoken to by officers at 2.30pm.

In what could be just a momentary victory for the fire protection engineer, the KCC workmen had no choice but to pack up and leave.

Mr Buck's anger revolves around the erection of a lamppost outside the front garden of his house, where he has lived for 19 years.

A rusting lamppost over the opposite side of the road has been leaning for the past five years and was deemed by the council as needing replacing.

But rather than install a replacement in the same place, the authority has chosen to put a new one on Mr Buck's side of the road.

"It's a disaster waiting to happen," he said.

"It's mismanagement, and the works are dangerous and illogical which will impact our community.

"There's no electrical supply underground on this side of the road, so why put the replacement lamppost over here?

"Children ride their scooters and bikes along this path as the school is just down the road. But this lamppost is now a danger to them.

"It means they're going to have to dig up the path, and it'll prevent us from getting our driveway extended.

"I've been out here since 9am as they can't do the work if I'm here.

"One of the workers said to his colleagues 'phone the police as he's stopping you from working'.

"I called him a clown, because to my mind, he is completely and utterly ridiculous.

"He wasn't thinking along the right lines at all, and everyone else shares that view as well."

When police arrived, Mr Buck gave a statement to two officers and defended his actions.

A notice explaining the complaint and notifying the suspension of work has been taped to the newly-installed lamppost.

As is it stands, the new structure is not plugged into any electrics and it remains a half-finished job.

In calling for it to be removed, Mr Buck has gained 60 signatures from a petition he launched on Friday.

A police spokesman says the force was called to a "report that a man was making abusive comments to workmen".

The statement continues: "Officers attended and spoke to all parties involved and the incident was dealt with by way of a community resolution."

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