Plans by a South East Cornwall man to start a quad bike safari business near Looe have ended with his nine machines being crushed on the orders of Caradon District Council. Christopher Gillbard of Higher Wringworthy, Morval, began his quad bike business without planning permission in 2004, prompting neighbours to complain to Caradon District Council about the noise and other nuisances from the activity. Since then, the council and Mr Gillbard have been involved in a variety of legal actions aimed at resolving the problems – at one stage Mr Gillbard was made the subject of a ten-year Anti-Social Behaviour Order (Asbo) after he ignored an Abatement Notice served on him in respect of the quad biking operation. Last year he appealed against the council's actions unsuccessfully to the High Court in London. Caradon's head of environmental health, Martin Gregory, said this week that a further case had been due to be heard at Launceston Magistrates Court last month. The case involved a prosecution for breaches of the noise abatement notice that occurred in 2005 – this was necessary in order to obtain forfeiture of the quad bikes to allow Caradon to dispose of them. The long delay between the offences and the court hearing was due to Mr Gillbard's continuing appeals against his previous convictions for breaches of the noise abatement notice and against his ASBO. These appeals finally ended when he lost his High Court case in November 2006 Refused Mr Gregory said numerous requests were made to Mr Gillbard and his legal representatives to relinquish ownership of the bikes, however he refused to do so even when the High Court dismissed his appeal. However at the hearing on the April 2 Mr Gillbard decided to relinquish ownership of the bikes without the case being heard by the magistrates. 'The quad bikes were in a very poor and unsafe condition when seized and, as such, it was considered that the best course of action was to have them crushed,' said Mr Gregory. 'We are extremely pleased by the outcome. This clearly demonstrates that we will take all necessary action to prevent such flagrant and persistent disregard for the law and will follow our actions through to the end.'