A motorist has been fined £250 after damaging Ayres Nature Reserve in his car.

Reece Charles Roy Noden, of Barrule Park, Ramsey, admitted driving around the reserve, revving his engine, turning and braking sharply.

A witness reported seeing Noden, whose age was not given in court, at 11pm on February 18, tearing up ground in his car.

Noden pleaded guilty to contravening the Wildlife Act by damaging plants and shrubs.

This is second incident of damage at the nature reserve after we reported last week how two men, Liam John Lord, of Crellins Avenue, Andreas, and Niall William Martin, of Coronation Court, Ramsey, were fined £350 each for damaging the nature reserve in a van on January 22.

Prosecutor Roger Kane told the court how, on February 18, a resident whose property overlooks the nature reserve saw Noden driving his car around the nature reserve at speed.

The man drove to the reserve to investigate then called police. However, when police arrived they could not find Noden.

The witness stayed at the scene after the police had left and then saw headlights come on and Noden’s vehicle appear again with him revving the engine.

The man told Noden he had called the police and took his registration number as Noden left.

The nature reserve was said to have suffered new damage with skid marks to an area 15metres by 10metres.

Noden was spoken to and said he had only been a resident on the island for seven months.

He said on the night in question he had been unable to sleep so he had gone for a drive.

Noden admitted he had been ’driving like a knob’ but said he was surprised when shown photos of the amount of damage he had caused.

He said he did not know the area was a nature reserve.

Defence advocate Jim Travers handed in a basis of plea for his client in which Noden said that his actions had been reckless rather than deliberately setting out to damage the area.

Mr Travers said: ’Mr Noden made a full and frank admission in interview and on his own doorstep when approached by police.

’He is very remorseful. Essentially Mr Noden went for a late-night drive as he was struggling to sleep. He performed some stupid manoeuvres over a short period of time. He refutes any suggestion he was fleeing the scene when approached by the witness. He says the witness told him to leave.’

Magistrates’ chair Ken Faragher told Noden: ’We suggest next time you’re struggling to sleep you find something better to do.

’We can’t find a better way to describe your driving that night than you’ve already described it yourself. There is a very large sign in the photos. I struggle to see how you missed it.’

Noden was also ordered to pay £50 prosecution costs.

The Ayres Nature Reserve is an important location for breeding birds and is governed by bye-laws designed to protect wildlife there.