Furious farmer, 75, who put up billboard describing village as ‘murderous’ blames snobbery for feud

A furious farmer has said he is ready to go to court to defend his right to display a billboard slamming his village as the ‘nastiest in Worcestershire’.

Carl Powell put the sign up on an old grain dryer and described Peopleton – 10 miles from Worcester – as a ‘murderous, lawless, godforsaken place’.

The 75-year-old accused villagers of putting ‘their own self interest before anything’ after a series of planning rows.

Locals objected to the word murderous but Mr Powell says he was almost killed when he challenged them over someone stealing scrap metal from his land.

He claimed he was run over, breaking his leg, and while he was in hospital someone chopped down £40,000 worth of his trees because they were spoiling the view.

MailOnline also revealed that around a month earlier police were called over a sign that warned: ‘NO TRESPASSERS. Violators will be shot. Survivors will be shot again.’

Pictured: Mr Powell

Carl Powell put the sign up on an old grain dryer and described Peopleton – 10 miles from Worcester – as a ‘murderous, lawless, godforsaken place’

Police visited Mr Powell at his farm twice in the past two months over signs he put up, it has been claimed

Police visited Mr Powell at his farm twice in the past two months over signs he put up, it has been claimed

The two signs are right next to each other on the farmer's land around ten miles east of Worcester

The two signs are right next to each other on the farmer’s land around ten miles east of Worcester

Police turned up at Mr Powell’s farmhouse to issue a notice under Section 5 of the Public Disorder Act 1986, fining him £90 fine on February 24.

They accused him of causing harassment, alarm and distress by hanging the billboard off a rusty grain silo at the gateway to the village.

But the farmer told MailOnline: ‘It’s staying there, I’m not taking it down for anyone. Every word on it is the truth and I have freedom of speech to stand by it.

‘The police told me to remove it and I will if I’m found guilty in court. Until then it stays there for everyone to see.’

He believes 95 per cent of villagers think his billboard is ‘a good laugh’ and locals were stopping their cars to take pictures of it today.

The farmer, who is undergoing radiotherapy treatment for cancer, blames locals snobbery for the feud – which stems from his plans to build ‘affordable and social’ housing on his 100-acre farm.

Mr Powell said: ‘I set up a business called Robin Hood Housing – we take from the rich and build for the poor.

‘But they got a petition up against my plans in the village, people objected and it all blew up in my face.’

Mr Powell, who is married with no children, told how armed police turned up at his farm over concerns about his ownership of a double barrelled shotgun.

An angry farmer who has criticised the village he lives in has been in trouble with police before, over this sign on his gate threatening to shoot trespassers - and fire again if they survive

An angry farmer who has criticised the village he lives in has been in trouble with police before, over this sign on his gate threatening to shoot trespassers – and fire again if they survive

Mr Powell, 75, put a sign up criticising the village of Peopleton in Worcestershire on an old grain dryer, and says that he will happily be arrested before it is torn down

Mr Powell, 75, put a sign up criticising the village of Peopleton in Worcestershire on an old grain dryer, and says that he will happily be arrested before it is torn down

He said: ‘They went to my 97-year-old mother’s house by mistake – they completely terrified her.

‘They’re banging on the windows because she was deaf and when they came to see me dressed in flak jackets with their guns across their chests they tried to provoke me.’

Mr Powell no longer has the firearm and he has surrendered his shotgun certificate.

He said: ‘I’m a straight talking man with a clean record but I believe in freedom of speech and my right to exercise it by putting up a truthful sign.

‘If the police are going to act like the Gestapo and arrest me then bring it on. I’ve asked the council to meet me face-to-face to thrash it out but instead they are intimidating me.’

Mr Powell’s neighbouring property is Stonebow House, the family home of TV newsman and University Challenge presenter Jeremy Paxman. It is now a care home.

Peopleton is mentioned in the Doomsday book and former residents include novelist Barbara Cartland and ex-England test cricketer John Snow.

Parish Council Chairman Tim Mason, 66, said the feuding farmer first put up the sign on the day of the village’s autumn show last year.

The retired teacher and father-of-two said: ‘He holds the village responsible for the fact that he didn’t get planning permission for some of the things he wanted to do.

‘But we are not the planning authority although we did raise objections because of the risk of further flooding to the village.

‘The dispute between Mr Powell and the village goes back 25 years. He’s regarded as a slightly odd character – you can have a perfectly nice conversation with him but then it’s like he flicks a switch and he changes.

‘This is a lovely place to live but he’s put his sign up at the gateway to the village where everyone can see it as they drive in. It doesn’t give a good impression.’

Parish council chairman Tim Mason has defended the village and says Mr Powell's farm lets down the area - not the residents

Parish council chairman Tim Mason has defended the village and says Mr Powell’s farm lets down the area – not the residents

A villager, who described himself as a ‘neutral’ in the feud claimed it was rooted in snobbery because Mr Powell wanted to build social housing on his land.

The local said: ‘There were objections to his plans for social housing but if they had been exclusive properties beyond the reach of ordinary folk the snobs in the village would have been fine with that.

‘Mr Powell has been the victim of crime – he was run over on his own land by a vehicle which can be described as a murderous weapon.

‘The Christians in the village didn’t send him a get well card or a bunch of flowers while he was in hospital. Instead they took advantage of the situation and chopped his trees down.

‘They’ve painted obscene graffiti on his gate and made his life hell while he and his wife are both quite ill.’

Mr Powell was angry with the community after neighbours objected to his plans to build eight new affordable homes on his land.

He then put the sign 15ft up on the grain silo calling the village a ‘godforsaken place’ after villagers refused to back his plans to put in a new track for his farm 

He was fined £90 for the sign in February after residents reported him to the police but he has refused to take it down and is willing to face further police action. 

He said: ‘If I’m going to be arrested for telling the truth, bring it on. I’ve nothing to hide.’

Mr Powell described the complaints to parish councillors from villagers against his new track as the last straw. It is not clear who he asked to make the sign for him.

Mr Powell was fined £90 for the sign after residents (pictured is the church in Peopleton) reported him to the police but has refused to take it down

He told the Sun: ‘The people in this village will object to anything — it’s pathetic. They put their own self interest before anything.

‘Several years ago I wanted to build some affordable housing on my land to help the less well-off but they petitioned to stop it.’

Police fined Mr Powell £90 after ruling that the sign was likely to cause ‘harassment, alarm or distress. But the farmer was not cowed by the fine and is challenging it. 

Mr Powell also insisted he would not be pulling the billboard down despite the anger of his neighbours, many of whom had opposed his latest planning application.

Some used the consultation to accuse him of starting work before getting permission.

One said: ‘The work has already been started by the Applicant, without prior permission, and no planning notice has been seen at the location.

‘It has not been shown that the development is reasonably necessary for the purposes of agriculture, when existing farm tracks already provide amply adequate access at 3 separate points.

‘Therefore there is no agricultural justification for the track and permission should therefore be refused’.

Another critic wrote: ‘Work has already started and is an obvious intrusion on to ‘farm land’. Unnecessary for farming but very useful ‘access’ for future planning applications.

A third person who opposed his application said: ‘There is no need for this track – the applicant already has 3 tracks in and out of his land; it is unnecessary.

‘It is likely the Applicant is using this as a stepping stone to gain an additional road access point to his land to make its saleability more attractive to any potential purchaser; he is already advertising it for sale on a ‘promotion only’ basis.’

The neighbour added: ‘The point where the proposed track is to join the public highway is a 60 mph zone and is close to a 90 degree right hand bend; this would be a dangerous access point and would create a potential hazard to highway users.’

West Mercia Police has been approached for comment.