A row over unpainted bollards left a homeowner facing a brush with the law.

Mark Wheeler was so fed up with the state of the six bollards outside his home on Prospect Terrace, Douglas, he told the government’s highways division that he would paint them himself.

And he was astounded when he received a reply from a highways official warning he could end up in trouble with the law.

Mr Wheeler told the Examiner: ’Straight outside my house there are six bollards. They’ve not been painted in the 15 years I’ve lived there and they look terrible.

’All along I’ve asked what colour paint to use and I’ll paint the damn bollards myself. So I told them I would paint them - and that’s when we end up with DoI calling the police.’

When Mr Wheeler contacted highway services in June asking them to be painted, he was initially informed the bollards were the responsibility of Douglas Corporation.

Later, the DoI accepted that they were in fact its responsibility.

In July, he was informed the work would be put out to tender only to learn last week that it was ’still being considered’.

Fed up with the lack of progress, Mr Wheeler told the DoI that he would be painting the bollards on Saturday, in a colour of his choosing.

He considered painting them Hammerite blue - although his daughter had previously suggested pink with sparkles.

DoI maintenance manager Alan Hardinge contacted him to say: ’I must point out that painting of bollards is not deemed as being safety critical. However, I do appreciate their appearance can impact the area where people live.

’I can confirm the likely timescale for their painting will be within the next two or three months.

’I would therefore ask for your co-operation and strongly advise you against taken the action outlined in your email.’

Mr Hardinge then quoted from the Highways Act 1996, which states that any person who interferes with a post forming part of or placed in or on a highway, shall be guilty of an offence.

Mr Wheeler replied: ’Your timescales are ludicrous and you intend to paint the bollards during the end of autumn or beginning of winter.

’You have had over 15 years to paint them. I have been trying to get you to move for over three months without success.

’If you consider painting the bollards to be committing an offence, I look forward to seeing you in court.’

Mr Wheeler said he had spoken with the police who advised him not to paint the bollards because it may be an offence of criminal damage.

Speaking to the Examiner, Mr Wheeler said he would not now be risking getting in trouble with the law.

’For fear of arrest and prosecution it’s not worth it,’ he said.

Infrastructure Minister Ray Harmer said he appreciated Mr Wheeler’s disappointment but pointed out that budgets had been declining.

He emailed him to say: ’The maintenance team has advised you that this work will be done in the next few months and, given the strain on resources, I think that this is a very reasonable plan.’