FORMER Gravesham mayor Frank Gibson agreed to surrender his licence in exchange for a driving offence against him being dropped.

The 82-year-old was due to appear before magistrates to face a charge of driving without due care and attention in Singlewell Road, Gravesend.

It would have been his third court case in two years - having had no previous convictions before October 2006.

The Windmill Street resident, also a former chairman of Kent County Council, was let off on this occasion when the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) agreed to discontinue the case after he agreed to give up his licence.

David Skelton, prosecuting, said: “The law exists to protect other road users from harm, and that has been achieved by Mr Gibson surrendering his licence.”

In March he pleaded guilty to criminal damage at Medway Magistrates court.

The court heard how in October 2006 Mr Gibson lost his temper and daubed a splash of paint on the car of a driving instructor, after an argument about him being parked on yellow lines.

David Eather, chairman of the bench, said his actions had been totally unacceptable and ordered him to pay £23.50 in compensation, and £100 in court costs.

He also received a six-month conditional discharge.

Speaking outside court after the previous case, Mr Gibson said: “It was a very fair hearing, two wrongs don’t make a right. It was an unwise thing for me to do.”

In January this year Mr Gibson was convicted of assaulting two Gravesend police officers after they stopped him in his car on Christmas Eve 2006.

He also received a six-month conditional discharge for this offence.

His case attracted criticism from various quarters who accused Kent Police of being “heavy-handed” towards the pensioner.

However, the Chief Constable of Kent Police, Mike Fuller, defended his officers who, he said, were experienced officers doing their job.