A pub landlord has appeared in court accused of vandalising a shopping centre’s CCTV cameras with paint.

Former News of the World journalist Paul McMullan, who runs The Castle Inn, Dover, is said to have caused damage worth £5,637 to equipment belonging to the adjoining St James Retail and Leisure Park.

The 54-year-old tabloid veteran appeared at Canterbury Crown Court today to enter a not-guilty plea to criminal damage to property worth more than £5,000.

McMullan, who wore a turquoise T-shirt in court and represented himself, is said to have damaged cameras, alongside a parking barrier and sensors on July 20 last year.

The landlord protests his innocence and claims his actions flowed from an issue surrounding privacy at his Russell Street pub.

The Castle Inn adjoins the town centre site which houses a large car park surrounded by various shops and restaurants.

Owned by Legal and General Property, the site has a Cineworld, M&S Foodhall and Nandos among well-known brands.

Judge Edmund Fowler granted McMullan bail until his trial, which is expected to begin at the same court on December 15.