A father and son have been cleared of attacking boot fair rivals in a dispute over a poster on their turf.

Daniel and Daley Bibby were alleged to have gone to Wrotham Showground on July 20 after a competitor’s advertisement was put up at the venue for their event in Swanley.

A jury heard that Bibby Snr, 65, and Bibby Jnr, 25, of Buckles Lane, South Ockenden in Essex, had gone there for revenge, and that three men and a teenager had been injured in a brawl, surrounded by bargain hunters.

But at Maidstone Crown Court on Friday they were found not guilty of inflicting grievous bodily harm on organiser Joseph McCarthy, three charges of assault causing actual bodily harm to Robin Hedges, Leslie Cox and 17-year-old Thomas McCarthy.

Mr Cox said his bottom set of teeth were fractured, and had a scar over his left eye and shoulder following the alleged attack.

Mr McCarthy Snr claimed he suffered swelling and abrasions to his face, bruising to his arm and an injury to his wristbone which had to be put in plaster.

But Bibby Snr said he and his son had simply gone to ask the organiser why they had put up their posters on his patch. He said: “We don’t class them as competition as they are a long way away but trying to use our fair to advertise theirs, it is not on.

“I swore at him and asked him what he was doing then he stepped back into what looked like a table, which collapsed like it was balsa wood.”

He denied assaulting Mr Hedges and said he offered him a hand up.

He claimed Mr McCarthy Jnr came running over “shouting and hollering” and had his hands in a boxing stance.

Bibby Snr said his son told him he wasn’t going to hurt him, by which time a group of onlookers had gathered.