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A disgruntled neighbour terrified a group of nursery children after he started a fire in his tractor and drove it straight at them.

Paul Holder, Of Charlton Drive, Wraxall, had a grievance with nearby Charlton Nursery.

When he saw a graduation ceremony being held for the four and five-year-olds who were leaving to start primary school he chose to ruin the occasion.

Holder, 55, set fire to rubbish in the tractor’s tipper bucket, then drove up to the boundary fence and smoked out the bash, panicking parents into thinking he was about to try and torch their tots.

Holder was charged with the affray in 2015 and stood trial this week. But after after two days, pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of a public order offence.

Judge William Hart handed him a three month prison sentence, suspended for 12 months at Bristol Crown Court on Wednesday (May 10).

He told Holder: “This Saturday morning was unusual.

“There was no school but a gradation event or party celebrating the moving of little children from their nursery to primary school.

“A number of four and five year olds were there to have that passaged marked.

“It should have been a memorable occasion for these little children. You had decided to change all that. You decided to put your grievance towards the nursery into action.”

Holder was told to carry out 100 hours’ unpaid work in the next 12 months.

He was handed a ten year restraining order, banning him from lighting a fire within 50 metres of the nursery or any other educational establishment which may succeed it, and told to pay £2,000 compensation and £750 court costs.

He was also banned from making contact with any employee, owner, or anyone attending Charlton Nursery for the next 10 years.

Holder declined to comment as he left court.

Ian Fenny, prosecuting, said parents and staff were distressed when Holder, who lives adjacent to the nursery, launched into action.

A confrontation followed between him and upset fathers, the court was told.

Robert Morgan-Jones, defending, conceded: “There was a high degree of panic and distress caused as a result of what this defendant did.

“A group of parents, predominately male, went around, forced an external gate and there was then a confrontation.”