A man alleged to have co-ordinated a Greenpeace raid at a powerstation has appeared in court.

Tim Hewke, 48, from Ulcombe is one of six people accused of taking part in a protest at Kingsnorth Power Station, near Hoo, last October.

Maidstone Crown Court heard that activists occupied the power station for 30 hours, causing £30,000 worth of damage.

The five men and one woman are all charged with criminal damage. They are Hewke, Ben Stewart, 34, from Lyminge, Kent; Huw Williams, 41, from Nottingham; Kevin Drake, 44, from Westbury, Wiltshire; Will Rose, 29, from London; and Emily Hall, 34, from New Zealand.

The court heard how the six defendants entered the power station at 6.30am on Monday, October 8, wearing orange boiler suits and hard hats bearing the Greenpeace logo.

Five of the group began to scale the power station chimney with the intention of painting the slogan ‘ Gordon Bin It’ on the side while the sixth defendant, Hewke, remained outside the power station in contact with those inside and co-ordinating the protest.

Prosecuting John Price, said: “By the time the five defendants climbed down at 1.30pm the following day, after E.ON obtained a High Court injunction they had managed to paint only Gordon on the side of the chimney.

“This cost the company a few pence short of £30,000 to remove.

All six defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges on the grounds that they had a lawful excuse for damaging the chimney at Kingsnorth in order for them to protect other property in Kent and the world threatened by climate change.

The trial is expected to last six days.