A CARDIGAN farm park owner has been found guilty of nailing gates shut along a section of the Ceredigion Coastal Path.

Lyn Jenkins denied 14 charges of obstructing the footpath between Ferwig and Mwnt.

But he was found guilty by Aberystwyth magistrates and was given a 12-month conditional discharge.

He will also have to pay a contribution toward prosecution costs of £3,500 and a £15 surcharge.

Jenkins, who represented himself, claimed in court that the path is dangerous and threatens his Cardigan Island Coastal Farm Park by allowing walkers to enter the park for free.

He accused Ceredigion Council of being “halfway to fascism” and said that he could name Freemasons in the council who had been “working against me” in approving the footpath.

Despite admitting that he had blocked a gate on the path with manure on one occasion and had hammered nails into gateposts to block gates, Jenkins insisted he was entitled to do so as the path was “unlawful” and not correctly designated.

When prosecutor Gwydion Hughes asked if Jenkins believed there was a “grand conspiracy” involving the authorities and judges, Jenkins said: “There must be.”

He added: “I could name Masons in the council who have worked against me.”

Jenkins also said that the section of the path which zig-zags through his land looked like “half a swastika” and added: “That shows this council is halfway to fascism.”

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