A pensioner accused of sex offences after being confronted by paedophile hunters has been caught up in legal action by barristers.

Graham Jamieson appeared at Maidstone Crown Court by TV link with Elmley Prison on Tuesday without a lawyer because of a protest about a “collapsing criminal justice system”.

The 71-year-old, of Southsea Avenue, Minster, told a judge he had been visited by a solicitor and told about the development which involves barristers refusing to take on new cases.

It follows members of the Criminal Bar Association warning that prisons, courts, the police and probation service are “underfunded and in chaos”.

Jamieson was arrested after a group calling itself Shadow Hunters UK confronted him on his doorstep on March 30 and streamed it live on Facebook.

It lasted 17 minutes and was viewed more than 46,000 times and shared over 500 times.

Jamieson told Judge Philip St John-Stevens he did not feel he could enter pleas without a solicitor being present in court.

The judge explained that his solicitors had been unable to get a barrister to represent him.

"My primary concern is that your are waiting in custody and how we can move this on,” he said. “I don't want there to be any delay."

He ordered that a solicitor should attend court on May 15 for the adjourned hearing.

Barristers have been refusing to take new cases since April 1. The crisis has been blamed in particular for the collapse of a number of rape trials which prompted a Metropolitan Police review of its cases.

It was the second plea and trial preparation hearing Judge St John-Stevens was forced to adjourn after he was told solicitors acting on behalf of an alleged burglar were having difficulty instructing a barrister to represent him.