INSPIRED by the abrasive style of Jeremy Paxman and the language of newspaper columnist Richard Littlejohn, a tax consultant embarked on a campaign of harassment against a local councillor, a court heard.

Magistrates were told that Howard Derham sent three harassing letters to Island councillor Garry Price and sent another to Mr Price's neighbours.

The letters included accusations that Cllr Price was egotistical, a liar, a leech and insincere. They also claimed Mr Price was sly and immoral.

Derham, 39, who denied harassment, was found guilty by magistrates and fined £750 with £200 costs and given a one-year order restraining him from contacting Cllr Price after a day-long trial at the Isle of Wight Magistrates' Court, Newport, on Monday.

Derham, 39, of East Cowes, told magistrates: "I read The Political Animal by Jeremy Paxman and it struck a chord with me. I thought to myself, 'Why do people go into politics?' I thought the time had come to no longer be apathetic.

"Denis Healey once said, 'If you can't stand the heat get out of the kitchen'. I thought it was time to get him out of the kitchen.

"In the cold light of day, the language I used was quite emotive and looked bad, but I stand by every comma in my letters.

"What I said should be like water off a duck's back and he shouldn't go running to the police.

"It's the kind of language used in Richard Littlejohn's column every week."

Derham admitted sending the letters, but did not consider the contents to be false or harassing.

Prosecuting Rachel Goodhall said Derham then breached a police harassment warning - issued to him in December - by sending a letter to Cllr Price's neighbours asking "Is your councillor worth it?" The leaflet said Cllr Price, of Camp Hill, Newport, was deluded, sly and immoral, and had boasted of appearing in the press.

It also said Price had previously been sacked for gross dishonesty when he did sub-contract tax assessment work for Derham.

Cllr Price, 34, an Isle of Wight councillor for two years, said he was "very distressed" by the letters.

Presiding magistrate David Edwards told Derham: "A councillor should expect some protection from harassment - you were reckless and acted with malice."

The same court fined Derham £200 in May last year for making offensive telephone calls to Cllr Price.