KING Arthur, a womble and a 77-year-old granny appeared at the High Court as an eviction hearing to kick eco-warriors out of Crystal Palace descended into farce.

Bromley Council won an order last Thursday giving it the legal right to repossess a 12-acre site occupied by environment protestors who have built a makeshift village. But in a bizarre series of proceedings, a judge ordered the protestors to remove a large Womble they had brought into court with them.

Sitting in judgment, Master Hodgson said: "Would someone remove that stupidly-dressed thing from the court. It's not even animate. This is not a charade, it's a court of law."

Womble was one of 15 people said by the council to be occupying land adjoining Crystal Palace Parade which is earmarked for a £58 million leisure development. Protestors took a large teddy into the court because the real eco-warrior nicknamed Womble was also cited on the eviction notice.

Another veteran campaigner King Arthur Pendragon was allowed to speak after proving his name was on his passport. The judge said: "I thought King Arthur had died some centuries ago."

King Arthur, who had earlier been told to leave his sword at reception, saw his request for a three-month adjournment refused. He claimed the development would add to global warming and said: "This court should not only be mindful of our treaty obligations but also be obliged to protect human life."

But Master Hodgson said: "It may be, King Arthur, that the world would be a much happier place if the Industrial Revolution had never taken place. But we have to live with it."

Among those appearing at the court after being summonsed by Bromley Council for occupying the site, was 77-year-old Joan Yaxley, who had only visited the eco-village once, in April, to give the campaigners some bread-and-butter pudding.

Mrs Yaxley, whose hobbies are bowls and pottery, said afterwards: "I'm really very upset about this. I only visited the site once, at the beginning, and was told I had to come to court.

"If this is British justice, it's a shambles. I wrote to the judge to tell him I did not live at the site but he probably only got my letter today."

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