A wealthy property owner has been cleared of threatening to get two neighbourhood wardens the sack if they did not withdraw a police complaint against him.

Paul Routledge admitted telling the men that he would use his wealth to launch a High Court action to get them removed from their jobs at Ashington, but denied saying he was prepared to spend up to £50,000 on the action.

He also told Hove Crown Court that he had not asked them to withdraw statements they made to the police about an incident in which he allegedly threatened another resident.

The court heard that eight months later, Mr Routledge, 45, of Meiros Way, Ashington, was verbally abused by youths hanging around in the local park.

He went to the wardens hut to see if they would do anything about the youths and found both men there instead of being on patrol.

Mr Routledge admitted that he told the wardens they were incompetent and were not properly trained.

The jury took two-and-a-half hours to unanimously find him not guilty of threatening revenge against the two wardens.