 A FATHERS 4 Justice campaigner in Merseyside has become the first person in Britain to be prosecuted using anti-hunt protest legislation. Colin Vallis caused chaos when he scaled a 200ft crane being used to build a new community justice centre in Liverpool city centre. Construction had to be put on hold for four days until police negotiators were able to talk the 42-year-old down. Now Vallis, from Ormskirk, has been prosecuted using laws brought in to control demonstrators at hunting events, the first time it is believed the legislation has been used for this purpose. The Crown Prosecution Service took Vallis to court for the offence of aggravated trespass under section 68 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act. The law was introduced to prevent activists stopping people and firms carrying on with their day-to-day business. Father-of-three Vallis climbed to the top of the City Square development, on Tithebarn Street, dressed as Batman last August because he said he had been denied access to his two youngest children for weeks. He pleaded guilty to breaching the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act and was fined £500 and ordered to pay £500 costs by magistrates in Liverpool. Chris Lindley, from the CPS, said: "We don't have any axe to grind with Fathers 4 Justice's campaign. "The issue is how their behaviour can affect and disrupt people who are trying to go about their normal business. "In this incident there had to be highly trained police officers and helicopters on hand. It cost the businesses involved more than £35,000 and taxpayers hundreds of thousands of pounds." In March George Young, from Walton, clambered a 150ft crane at the Grosvenor development in Chavasse Park to protest. And in April, Graham Wilson, from New Brighton, threw eggs at Tony Blair when the prime minister visited Oldham. Nobody from Fathers 4 Justice was available for comment. james.glover@liverpool.com | 
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