A council has decided not challenge a judge's decision not to prosecute a farmer for violating planning laws after he drove a digger into his own pub.

Robert Tyrrell faced a second prosecution for partly demolishing the North Star pub, in Steventon, near Abingdon -- an 18th-century, grade II listed building -- in the early hours of New Year's Day.

Despite already pleading guilty to a criminal charge of damaging property and being reckless as to whether life would be endangered, the Vale of White Horse District Council decided to take civil proceedings against him.

It claimed Mr Tyrrell's actions had contravened two sections of the Planning, Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas Act. The council also accused Mr Tyrrell of causing damage and carrying out unauthorised work to change the appearance of the North Star.

But district judge Brian Loosley, sitting at Oxford Magistrates' Court, threw out the case, saying that both the criminal charge and the new case were "substantially the same", and to proceed with the district council's case would be "an abuse" of the law and a waste of time.

Members of the council's development control committee, meeting in Abingdon, heard a report from the assistant director of legal service, David Mytton, and decided against an appeal.

Mr Mytton said: "Members felt that in view of the court hearing it would be difficult to lodge an appeal challenging the judge's decision so it was agreed not to pursue the matter any further."

Mr Tyrrell, 46, of The Green, Steventon, is paying up to £70,000 to repair the damaged pub.

Following the criminal proceedings at Oxford Crown Court, Mr Tyrrell, 46, of The Green, Steventon was sentenced to 200 hours' community service and ordered to pay compensation of £2,800 to people who were in the pub at the time of the incident but who escaped injury.He was also ordered to pay £450 prosecution costs.