A series of multiple Freedom of Information requests have been rejected as ’vexatious’.

Former Braddan Commissioners clerk Charles ’Buster’ Lewin submitted no fewer than 20 individual requests to the Department of Infrastructure over 19 weeks.

His latest applications concern the cost of the promenade redevelopment, the purchase of the £420,000 diesel locomotive - dubbed by critics as The Cabbage - on the heritage railway , and legislation applying the use of public roads by cyclists.

In its response the DoI said it considered that Mr Lewin’s requests fell within the classification of ’vexatious’ and it was therefore within its rights to refuse them.

It said while some of the requests appeared reasonable, most of them asked more than one question, and some required further clarification.

’The effort required will be disproportionate in terms of the strain on time and resources,’ it said.

’For your information you have, over the last 19 weeks, submitted 20 individual requests, eight of

which have gone to one division in three lots. One topic had four individual requests with a total

of 14 questions, most of which have required clarification.

’Of the 20 requests, with have been withdrawn, eight the understanding that you were going to resubmit them at a later date.

’These have not been re-submitted, therefore bringing into question the purpose of those requests in the first place.’

The DoI assured Mr Lewin that the refusal applied to the requests and not the requester.

Mr Lewin told the Manx Independent: ’We have reached agreement with the DoI for one at a time, the first one they are dealing with is The Cabbage.

’I have found the officers are being very positive ’

In his request, Mr Lewin asked how much money has been spent on the diesel locomotive since it was delivered to the island. It has been out of use for two years now awaiting repairs.

He asked when it will be expected to be operational and how many miles it has covered so far.

Mr Lewin also ask how many times since the loco had been delivered had steam trains broken down while in use and he inquired how those trains had been recovered.

FoI came into operation in January 2016 and initially applied only to the Cabinet Office and DEFA.

But subsequently it was rolled out to all government departments, police and the Clerk of Tynwald’s Office. Last month it was extended to all statutory boards and offices and publicly-owned companies. From January 2018 it will apply to local authorities too.