Wigan councillor found guilty of fly-posting

Independent representative for Hindley Green, Coun Paul Maiden, who runs Mad Dog PR Promotions, was fined after being held responsible for six charges at Wigan and Leigh Magistrates’ Court.

Posters for a number of concerts were found on telephone kiosks and disused or closed premises over a period of several months and the bench accepted the man seen on CCTV footage sticking a bill on a phone box in Ince was Maiden.

The 45-year-old, of Warrington Road, had taken the matter to trial after strongly protesting his innocence and afterwards lashed out at the guilty verdict as “diabolical”.

The court heard the town hall began looking into the matter after a poster for tribute act Oaces had appeared in the Smithy Green area of Ince close to the KFC.

CCTV footage, which was played to the court, showed a man in dark trousers and a blue shirt carrying a bag over his shoulder approach the phone box and then fix something to it.

Asked who it was by the prosecuting solicitor Alison Henderson enforcement officer Karen Roberts replied she believed it was Maiden.

However, in cross-examination Karen Moorfield, defending, got Ms Roberts to admit she did not see Maiden’s face in the video and the camera was some distance from the events it was filming.

The investigators then went online and found the gig advertised on the Facebook of Mad Dog Promotions.

On returning to the area where the first poster was found, Ms Roberts then found another for the same gig on the outside of a convenience store.

The court heard that further posters for a Kate Bush tribute act and a visit to Wigan by Nik Turner of Hawkwind were stuck on phone boxes or buildings at locations including King Street, the junction of Darlington Street East and Warrington Lane and Rodney Street.

These gigs were also found on Mad Dog PR Promotions’ social media, sometimes with an identical image to that on the posters and sometimes with a different picture.

Ms Henderson said: “Unlawful advertising is an eyesore and a blight on the borough. It can be a public safety issue as well as drivers can be distracted.

“Littering also requires funds to remove it. The local authority’s case is that Mr Maiden is liable. Mad Dog Promotions is a one-man band, it’s not a large company where people go out and do things the controlling minds weren’t aware of.”

In the witness box Maiden denied any responsibility for the posters and said the person in the CCTV footage was not him.

He said he would have no reason to put up posters as he only worked as a fixer bringing bands and venues together to arrange gigs rather than taking fees for organising the events himself, adding that it was the bands and venues who would stand to gain financially from attracting people to the events. He also said he now did all his advertising online.

Mrs Moorfield told the court: “The posters promote the venue, bands, ticket-selling agencies and two shops in Wigan. There are no posters in any way promoting Mr Maiden’s business.

“Without trawling the internet you would have no idea Mr Maiden or Mad Dog PR Promotions are linked to any of these posters.

“He was completely oblivious to this, so why should he bear the responsibility and financial costs? I reiterate, it is not him.”

Afterwards Mr Maiden blasted the verdict and indicated he wanted to appeal to Bolton Crown Court.

He said: “It’s just diabolical. I’ve never known anything like this before. How can such shoddy evidence be submitted and then be enough to find me guilty? It doesn’t make any sense.”

He has 21 days to lodge proceedings and take the matter further.