Greenpeace activists say their attempted take over of a coal fired power station saved the planet more than £1m in environmental catastrophe, a court heard.

The trial of six people who took part in a protest at Kingsnorth Power Station in Hoo last October is in its second day at Maidstone Crown Court.

The eco-campagners are accused of causing £30,000 worth of criminal damage after scaling the chimney of Kingsnorth Power Station in Hoo.

The defendants are:

• Tim Hewke, 47, of Chegworth Road, Harrietsham,

• Kevin Drake, 43, of High Street, Chapmanslade, Wiltshire

• Ben Stewart, 33, of Alkham Road, Stoke Newington

• William Rose, 27, of Laurier Road, Kentish Town

• Emily Hall, 33, of Smyrna Road, Kilburn

• Huw Williams, 40, of Chesterfield Drive, Burton Joyce, Nottinghamshire

They have all pleaded not guilty to the charge on the grounds they had a lawful excuse.

Opening for the defence QC Michael Wolkind described the six as “goodies not hoodies” and told the jury “You’re judging the nicest six defendants to ever be in the dock, and they are accused of trying to save the planet.”

The jury were told on Monday how the six defendants entered the power station at 6.30am on October 8 2007, 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 Tim 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 have 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.

Top climate scientist, Professor James Hansen, a director of NASA, will appear before the jury, as a witness for the defence on Wednesday.

Professor Hansen is former US Vice-President Al Gore's science advisor and a former White House consultant on climate change.