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Friday, 18 January, 2002, 17:55 GMT
Historic signs case trio bound over
Hugh Rowe, Rodney Nute and Dr Nigel Hicks
Three members of a Cornish parliament who removed English Heritage signs from 18 historic sites have been bound over by a crown court judge.
The trio, members of the Cornish Stannary Parliament, also removed the signs from Tintagel and Pendennis Castles in protest at the word "English" being used to describe them.
One supporter said the men, Dr Nigel Hicks, Rodney Nute and Hugh Rowe, had made "the first strike in the Cornish cultural revolution".
Truro crown court was told that the men removed the signs claiming that English Heritage had no cultural legitimacy in Cornwall.
One of the signs removed by the three men
They were due to face charges of conspiring to cause criminal damage over the removal of the signs, many of which had also been defaced.
But Geoffrey Mercer, prosecuting, said the men had agreed to be bound over for a year in the sum of �500 each.
They had also paid English Heritage �4,500 compensation.
Judge Graham Cottle praised the prosecution approach for being "sensible and pragmatic".
And he said he would make no further comments as "the publicity is exactly what the defendants seek and I shall deny them that satisfaction."
But Colin Murley, a member of the Stannary Parliament and spokesman for the three men, said its members supported their actions.
"We are proud of Rodney Nute, Hugh Rowe and Nigel Hicks, who, under great personal pressure, have made the first strike in the Cornish cultural revolution," he said.
Retired dentist, Dr Hicks, of Mount Ambrose, Cornwall, Mr Rowe, from Troon, and Mr Nute, of Porkellis, Cornwall, could have been sent to jail if convicted of the conspiracy charge.
Mr Murley said the Stannary Parliament would continue its campaign for an independent state-funded Cornish cultural organisation.
He said their aim was a greater recognition of the Cornish and Celtic history of many ancient sites.
The Stannary Parliament meets monthly in Redruth, Cornwall, and was originally founded in the Middle Ages to control tin mining.
Its members now campaign to promote Cornish culture.
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